The Addition of Collagen Scaffolds to Human Cell Therapy to Modify Skin Identity

The study explored the addition of collagen scaffolds to human cell therapy to modify skin identity, specifically converting non-volar skin to volar-like skin, which is more resilient and pressure-responsive. Involving human volunteers, the research demonstrated that combining ectopic volar fibroblasts with a collagen scaffold increased volar characteristics in non-volar skin, such as epidermal thickness and dermal papillary elastin expression, 5 months post-injection. The approach also influenced gene expression related to skin morphogenesis and unexpectedly increased cell density and modified keratinocyte differentiation. These findings suggest that extracellular matrix components like collagen can significantly impact skin function and offer new avenues for regenerative medicine.