Rapid Expansion and Auto-Grafting Efficiency of Porcine Full Skin Expanded by a Skin Bioreactor Ex Vivo.
10.1007/s13770-016-9096-0
- Author:
Man Il HUH
1
;
Sun Hee AN
;
Hwi Gang KIM
;
Yun Jeong SONG
;
Eun Chang CHOI
;
Sang Hyun AN
;
Woo Sung CHOI
;
Jeung Soo HUH
;
Jeong Ok LIM
Author Information
1. Biomedical Research Institute, Joint Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea. jolim@knu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Skin expansion;
Bioreactor system;
Full skin graft
- MeSH:
Bioreactors*;
Burns;
Cicatrix;
Fibroblasts;
Fibrosis;
Humans;
Immunohistochemistry;
Skin*;
Skin, Artificial;
Swine;
Tissue Donors;
Transplants
- From:
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
2016;13(1):31-38
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Full skin auto-grafts are required for reconstruction of skin burns and trauma scars. However, currently available clinical approaches such as sheet skin graft, mesh skin grafts, artificial skin graft, and in vivo skin expansion have limitations due to their potential danger for secondary damage and scar formation at the donor site, and discomfort during skin expansion. We developed an advanced bioreactor system and evaluated its function in skin expansion using porcine full skin. The reactor was designed as a pneumatic cylinder type, was programmed to adjust the pressure and the operating time. The system was composed of culture chamber unit, environmental control unit, and monitoring unit. Skins were expanded at 200 kPa pneumatic force and the expanded skins were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and histology. Furthermore we carried out auto-grafting experiment of the expanded skins in vivo using Yucatan pigs and skins were harvested and histologically analyzed after 8 weeks. The results showed that the bioreactor expanded skins to 160% in 4 hours. Histological analysis of the expanded skins revealed that epidermal cells and dermal fibroblasts were viable and remained integrity. The results of auto-grafting experiment indicated that fibrosis and scars were not detected in the grafted skins. This study demonstrates that the newly developed skin bioreactor enabled to obtain large sized full skin rapidly and successful grating.
