Clinical application and histological properties of autologous tissue-engineered skin equivalents using an acellular dermal matrix.
We developed a transplantable tissue-engineered skin equivalent composed of autologous cultured keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and a decellularized allogeneic dermis (acellular allogeneic dermal matrix; ADM) obtained from cadavers. In a process taking 3 weeks, cultured autologous keratinocytes from burn patients were expanded and then grown on ADMs. The tissue-engineered autologous skin equivalents (TESEs) were then transplanted in a one-stage procedure to the debrided third-degree burn wounds of 4 patients. The mean graft survival rate was 96%. Delayed graft loss and graft fragility were not observed. Histological and immunohistological findings indicated that the transplanted TESE had similar characteristics to normal human split-thickness skin grafts. These results suggest that the TESE using ADM can be used for permanent repair of full-thickness skin defects.
Department of Plastic Surgery, Nippon Medical School.
Yoshihiro
Y
Takami
Ryo
R
Yamaguchi
Shimpei
S
Ono
Hiko
H
Hyakusoku
D062088:Acellular Dermis; D000328:Adult; D064592:Autografts / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017768:Skin, Artificial; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous