Reconstructed Tissue-Engineered Skin with ES Cell-Derived Epidermal Stem Cells and Collagen Sponge

The study demonstrated that tissue-engineered skin using ES cell-derived epidermal stem cells and collagen sponge effectively restored full thickness skin defects in mice. The engineered skin healed the defects within 3 weeks, resulting in thicker than normal skin with an increased basal layer. The epidermis showed expression of β1 integrin, CK15, and CK19, while the dermis exhibited structures expressing β1 integrin and CEA. After 4 weeks, the newborn skin developed sebaceous glands-like and hair follicles-like structures, indicating successful regeneration of complex skin features.