In Vitro Culture Methods of Skin Cells for Optimal Skin Reconstruction by Tissue Engineering

The 2011 document discusses advancements in tissue engineering for skin reconstruction, particularly the in vitro culture methods of skin cells. It emphasizes the role of fibroblasts in creating a functional dermis and the challenges of reconstituting complex structures. The study showed that fibroblasts from human skin biopsies could be cultured for at least 8 passages without significant changes in growth characteristics, and that donor age and biopsy location did not significantly affect fibroblast doubling times, although the biopsy site did influence dermis thickness. The document also explores methods to improve vascularization of skin grafts, such as adding growth factors and pre-grafting capillary networks. A method for isolating human capillary endothelial cells and reconstructing a vascularized dermis using the self-assembly approach is detailed, showing that capillary-like structures increase over time and quickly integrate with the host's vascular system when grafted onto mice. The conclusion suggests that constructing a microvascular network in vitro could improve grafting success and that further enhancements could include adding other skin components to the engineered tissues.