title: Development and Characterization of an Engraftable Tissue-Cultured Skin Autograft: Alternative Treatment for Severe Electrical Injuries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Optimizing the treatment regimens of extensive or nonhealing defects is a constant challenge. Tissue-cultured skin autografts may be an alternative to mesh grafts and keratinocyte suspensions that are applied during surgical defect coverage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Autologous epidermal and dermal cells were isolated, in vitro expanded and seeded on collagen-elastin scaffolds. The developed autograft was immunohistochemically and electron microscopically characterized. Subsequently, it was transplanted onto lesions of a severely burned patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparability of the skin equivalent to healthy human skin could be shown due to the epidermal strata, differentiation, proliferation markers and development of characteristics of a functional basal lamina. Approximately 2 weeks after skin equivalent transplantation the emerging new skin correlated closely to the adjacent normal skin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrates the comparability of the developed organotypic skin equivalent to healthy human skin and its versatility for clinical applications.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Golinski
authors: Henrik
authors: H
authors: Menke
authors: Matthias
authors: M
authors: Hofmann
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Valesky
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Butting
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Kippenberger
authors: Jürgen
authors: J
authors: Bereiter-Hahn
authors: August
authors: A
authors: Bernd
authors: Roland
authors: R
authors: Kaufmann
authors: Nadja N
authors: NN
authors: Zoeller
mesh_terms: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D064592:Autografts / Q000502:physiology*; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D002056:Burns / Q000628:therapy; D002417:Cattle; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D020405:Dermis / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003896:Desmosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D004556:Electric Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013997:Time Factors; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D043925:Angiogenesis Inducing Agents