De novo epidermal regeneration using human eccrine sweat gland cells: higher competence of secretory over absorptive cells.
In our previous work, we showed that human sweat gland-derived epithelial cells represent an alternative source of keratinocytes to grow a near normal autologous epidermis. The role of subtypes of sweat gland cells in epidermal regeneration and maintenance remained unclear. In this study, we compare the regenerative potential of both secretory and absorptive sweat gland cell subpopulations. We demonstrate the superiority of secretory over absorptive cells in forming a new epidermis on two levels: first, the proliferative and colony-forming efficiencies in vitro are significantly higher for secretory cells (SCs), and second, SCs show a higher frequency of successful epidermis formation as well as an increase in the thickness of the formed epidermis in the in vitro and in vivo functional analyses using a 3D dermo-epidermal skin model. However, the ability of forming functional skin substitutes is not limited to SCs, which supports the hypothesis that multiple subtypes of sweat gland epithelial cells hold regenerative properties, while the existence and exact localization of a keratinocyte stem cell population in the human eccrine sweat gland remain elusive.
Tissue Biology Research Unit, Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: luca.pontiggia@kispi.uzh.ch.
Luca
L
Pontiggia
Tissue Biology Research Unit, Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Thomas
T
Biedermann
Tissue Biology Research Unit, Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Sophie
S
Böttcher-Haberzeth
Tissue Biology Research Unit, Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Carol
C
Oliveira
Tissue Biology Research Unit, Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Erik
E
Braziulis
Tissue Biology Research Unit, Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Agnieszka S
AS
Klar
Tissue Biology Research Unit, Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Claudia
C
Meuli-Simmen
Tissue Biology Research Unit, Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Martin
M
Meuli
Tissue Biology Research Unit, Department of Surgery, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
Ernst
E
Reichmann
D016475:3T3 Cells; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004439:Eccrine Glands / Q000166:cytology*; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D012038:Regeneration; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D013234:Stem Cells; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult