title: Using swept-source optical coherence tomography to monitor the formation of neo-epidermis in tissue-engineered skin.
abstract: There is an increasing need for a robust, simple to use, non-invasive imaging technology to follow tissue-engineered constructs as they develop. Our aim was to evaluate the use of swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) to image tissue-engineered skin as it developed over several weeks. Tissue-engineered skin was produced using both de-epithelialized acellular dermis (DED) and amorphous collagen gels. In both cases the epidermis could be readily distinguished from the neodermis, based on a comparison with standard destructive histology of samples. Constructs produced with DED showed more epidermal/dermal maturation than those produced using collagen. The development of tissue-engineered skin based on DED was accurately monitored with SS-OCT over 3 weeks and confirmed with conventional histology.
authors.affiliation: Tissue Engineering Group, Kroto Research Institute, University of Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Louise E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonesi
authors.forename: Rod
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Smallwood
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Matcher
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: MacNeil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004817:Epidermis / Q000254:growth & development*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D051381:Rats; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D013997:Time Factors; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*