Mechanical stimulation induces rapid fibroblast proliferation and accelerates the early maturation of human skin substitutes

Wahlsten, Adam; Rütsche, Dominic; Nanni, Monica; Giampietro, Costanza; Biedermann, Thomas; Reichmann, Ernst; Mazza, Edoardo

doi:10.5167/uzh-204099

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Wahlsten, A., Rütsche, D., Nanni, M., Giampietro, C., Biedermann, T., Reichmann, E., & Mazza, E. (2021). Mechanical stimulation induces rapid fibroblast proliferation and accelerates the early maturation of human skin substitutes. Biomaterials, 273, 120779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120779

Abstract

The clinical treatment of large, full-thickness skin injuries with tissue-engineered autologous dermo-epidermal skin substitutes is an emerging alternative to split-thickness skin grafting. However, their production requires about one month of in vitro cell and tissue culture, which is a significant drawback for the treatment of patients with severe skin defects. With the aim to reduce the production time, we developed a new dynamic bioreactor setup that applies cyclic biaxial tension to collagen hydrogels for skin tissue engineering.