title: Tissue-engineered fetal dermal matrices.
abstract: In the early to mid-gestation fetus, skin wounds heal with no scar formation and perfect restoration of dermal architecture. This phenomenon is intrinsic to fetal skin. The intrinsic phenotypic properties of the fetal fibroblast are believed to be "the effector of scarless repair". We sought to prepare dermal matrices with high similarity to the mid-gestation fetal dermis using the technology of "self-assembly" with fetal dermal cells of 18, 20, and 22 wk gestation. Comparison of these dermal constructs to those prepared with neonatal dermal cells, adult skin, neonatal foreskin, and mid-gestation fetal skin demonstrates that these fetal dermal matrices bear marked morphological and biochemical resemblance to the mid-gestation fetal dermis. In order to shed further light on the genes involved in scarless wound healing, we conducted a differential gene array analysis of the neonatal and fetal dermal matrices. Using a gene chip (GLYCOv4 gene chip) of approximately 1,260 human genes, we observed differential expression of 67 genes. A number of fibrotic genes were observed to be downregulated and anti-fibrotic genes upregulated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA. tarapouyani@gmail.com
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pouyani
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papp
authors.forename: Lana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schaffer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002452:Cell Count; D002921:Cicatrix; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005865:Gestational Age; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012867:Skin / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D003094:Collagen