title: Creation of human skin equivalents for the in vitro study of angiogenesis in wound healing.
abstract: In our efforts aimed at studying the cellular responses to injury, including the angiogenesis of wound healing, we have developed a novel three-dimensional (3D) skin equivalent that is comprised of multiple cell types found in normal human skin or chronic wound beds. The in vitro model contains a microvascular component within the dermis-like extracellular matrix and possesses an intact epithelial covering comprised of skin-derived epithelial cells. Capillary endothelial cells can be labeled with fluorescent vital tracers prior to being embedded within a 3D matrix and overlaid with a monolayer of keratinocytes (normal or transformed). Once embedded in the matrix, the endothelial cells demonstrate capillary-like tube formation mimicking the microvasculature of true skin. Angiogenesis and the reepithelialization, which occur in response to injury and during wound healing, can be quantified using fluorescence-based and bright-field digital imaging microscopic, biochemical, or molecular approaches.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Center for Innovations in Wound Healing Research, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Ira M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*; D014945:Wound Healing