title: Modified plastic compression of collagen hydrogels provides an ideal matrix for clinically applicable skin substitutes.
abstract: Tissue engineering of clinically applicable dermo-epidermal skin substitutes is crucially dependent on the three-dimensional extracellular matrix, supporting the biological function of epidermal and dermal cells. This matrix essentially determines the mechanical stability of these substitutes to allow for safe and convenient surgical handling. Collagen type I hydrogels yield excellent biological functionality, but their mechanical weakness and their tendency to contract and degrade does not allow producing clinically applicable transplants of larger sizes. We show here that plastically compressed collagen type I hydrogels can be produced in clinically relevant sizes (7×7 cm), and can be safely and conveniently handled by the surgeon. Most importantly, these dermo-epidermal skin substitutes mature into a near normal skin that can successfully reconstitute full-thickness skin defects in an animal model.
authors.affiliation: Tissue Biology Research Unit, Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Braziulis
authors.forename: Mirco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diezi
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Biedermann
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pontiggia
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmucki
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hartmann-Fritsch
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luginbühl
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schiestl
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meuli
authors.forename: Ernst
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reichmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003094:Collagen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020405:Dermis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000637:transplantation / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004817:Epidermis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000637:transplantation / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D010969:Plastics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013997:Time Factors; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels; D010969:Plastics; D003094:Collagen