Evaluation of the Various Artificial Skin Substitutes Implanted onto Nude Mice.

Lee, Won Jai; Lee, Dong Won; Hur, Jae Young; Lee, Young Dae; Park, Beyoung Yun; Rah, Dong Kyun

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 2008;35(2):127-133.
Published online March 1, 2008.

Evaluation of the Various Artificial Skin Substitutes Implanted onto Nude Mice.

Won Jai Lee, Dong Won Lee, Jae Young Hur, Young Dae Lee, Beyoung Yun Park, Dong Kyun Rah

Institute for Human Tissue Restoration, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. dkrah@yuhs.ac

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the remodeling process of the various skin substitutes in 4th and 6th weeks following the transplantation when transplanted onto nude mice. METHODS: Three types of artificial skin substitutes, such as PLGA scaffold with keratinocyte sheets(group 1), acellular human dermis(Surederm(TM)) and keratinocyte sheet(group 2), bioengineered skin(Neoderm(TM))(group 3), were applied to the wound on nude mice. All mice were killed in 2, 4 weeks and/or 6 weeks after grafting and tissue samples were harvested from the back of mice. The changes in wound size, degree of angiogenesis, formation of basement membrane and epidermis, density of collagen fibers and neural restoration were examined.
RESULTS
There was no significant changes in wound size among the three groups. However, the size of wound decreased in the non-substituted group due to contracture. Degree of angiogenesis and systhesis of collagen or neurofilaments were mostly increased in bioengineered skin(Neoderm(TM))(group 3), followed by acellular human dermis(Surederm(TM)) and keratinocyte sheet(group 2), PLGA scaffold with keratinocyte sheets (group 1). However, group 3 and group 2 showed similar thickness of basement membrane and epidermis.
CONCLUSION
We found that degree of angiogenesis, formation of basement membrane and skin appendages, density of collagen fibers and neurofilaments can be the categories to evaluate the success of artificial skin substitution in early stages.

Keywords: Artificial skin; Efficiency evaluation