Epidermal Stem Cells Cultured on Collagen-Modified Chitin Membrane Induce In Situ Tissue Regeneration of Full-Thickness Skin Defects in Mice
February 2014
in “
PLoS ONE
”
TLDR Epidermal stem cells on a special membrane helped mice regrow full skin with hair and functions.
The study demonstrated that using a collagen-modified chitin membrane (C-CBM) combined with epidermal stem cells (ESCs) effectively induced in situ tissue regeneration of full-thickness skin defects in nude mice. The ESCs-C-CBM group showed significantly improved skin regeneration compared to controls, with more dermatoglyphs, thicker, redder, and more elastic skin 10 weeks post-surgery. Additionally, there was notable hair follicle cell proliferation and active ESCs involvement in skin repair and regeneration. This approach successfully regenerated complete skin with all appendages and functions, highlighting its potential as a skin substitute in tissue engineering.