L. Mazzone, L. Pontiggia, E. Reichmann, N. Ochsenbein-Kölble, U. Moehrlen, M. Meuli
Institution
Kinderspital Zurich
Country
Switzerland
Year
2014
Journal
Pediatric Surgery International
Abstract
Purpose In some human fetuses undergoing prenatal
spina bifida repair, the skin defect is too large for primary
closure. The aim of this study was to engineer an autologous
fetal skin analogue suitable for in utero skin reconstruction
during spina bifida repair.
Methods Keratinocytes (KC) and fibroblasts (FB) isolated
from skin biopsies of 90-day-old sheep fetuses were
cultured. Thereafter, plastically compressed collagen
hydrogels and fibrin gels containing FB were prepared. KC
were seeded onto these dermal constructs and allowed to
proliferate using different culture media. Constructs were
analyzed histologically and by immunohistochemistry and
compared to normal ovine fetal skin.
Results Development of a stratified epidermis covering
the entire surface of the collagen gel was observed. The
number of KC layers and degree of organization was
dependent on the cell culture media used. The collagen
hydrogels exhibited a strong tendency to shrink after eight
to ten days of culture in vitro. On fibrin gels, we did not
observe the formation of a physiologically organized
epidermis.
Conclusion Collagen-gel-based ovine fetal cell-derived
skin analogues with near normal anatomy can be engineered
in vitro and may be suitable for autologous fetal
transplantation.