title: In vivo behavior of complete human oral mucosa equivalents: characterization in athymic mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The interest in tissue engineering as a way to achieve repair of damaged body tissues has led to the carrying out of many studies whose results point to the potential effectiveness of these methods. In a previous study, we reported the obtaining of complete autologous oral mucosa equivalents (CAOMEs), characterized by oral immature keratinocytes and stem cells on an autologous plasma and fibroblast scaffold. The purpose of this study is to show their behavior in vivo, by using them as free grafts in experimental animals, and to demonstrate their potential capacity to regenerate oral mucosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  We engineered CAOMEs, as previously described. All CAOMEs thus obtained were used as free grafts in nu/nu mice. To assess their evolution in vivo, we studied their histological and immunohistochemical features by using AE1/AE3 pancytokeratin, the 5/6 cytokeratin pair, cytokeratin 13, laminin 5, collagen IV, vimentin, p-63 and Ki-67, at 7, 14 and 21 d.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The structure became progressively closer to that of oral mucosa samples. Cytokeratin 5/6 staining became increasingly intense in the basal and suprabasal layers, and cytokeratin 13 was exclusively positive in the superficial layers. The basal membrane was completed in 21 d. Vimentin showed a correct formation of the chorion. The increasingly positive staining of p-63 and Ki-67 indicated that the regeneration process was taking place.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study shows the potential regenerative capacity of the CAOMEs by their ability to reach maturity similar to that seen in oral mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Central University Hospital of Asturias, Department of Surgery and Dental College, University of Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. napegomaxilo@gmail.com
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Junquera
authors.forename: Á
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Meana
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aguilar
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Fresno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000166:cytology; D001769:Blood; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000032:analysis; D003239:Connective Tissue Cells / Q000166:cytology; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D053556:Keratin-1 / Q000032:analysis; D053535:Keratin-13 / Q000032:analysis; D053558:Keratin-3 / Q000032:analysis; D053555:Keratin-5 / Q000032:analysis; D053553:Keratin-6 / Q000032:analysis; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000502:physiology; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D011897:Random Allocation; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000032:analysis; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis; D000097794:Kalinin
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D024141:Collagen Type IV; D053556:Keratin-1; D053535:Keratin-13; D053558:Keratin-3; D053555:Keratin-5; D053553:Keratin-6; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014746:Vimentin; D000097794:Kalinin; C498355:Mki67 protein, mouse; C486419:Trp63 protein, mouse