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Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open
Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open
GOX
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open
2169-7574
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Hagerstown, MD

GOX-D-24-00774
00021
10.1097/01.GOX.0001063892.90779.e4
3
PSTM Abstract Supplement
PSTM Top Abstracts/Posters 2024
Co-application of Disaggregated Cellular Suspension with Hydrogel Scaffolds Facilitates Healing Full-thickness Defects in Mice in One Step: A Pilot Study
Singh Gurtej PhD 1
Fu Shi BS 1
Luo Huiting BS 1
Feng Kuan-Che PhD 1
Sukhlal Shiffoni BS 1
Borrelli Mimi MBBS, PhD, MSc 1
Bui Duc MD 1
Khan Sami MD 1
Rafailovich Miriam PhD 1
Simon Marcia PhD 1
Dagum Alexander MD 1
Department of Surgery, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
9 2024
18 9 2024
12 Suppl 16Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons. All rights reserved.
2024
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.

OPEN-ACCESSTRUE
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pmcPURPOSE: Acellular Dermal Matrix (ADM) products are pivotal in reconstructing full-thickness skin defects, significantly reducing donor site requirements and time to closure (1). Traditionally, these products necessitate a two-stage surgical process, wherein skin grafting follows the vascularization and integration of the ADM (2). This study introduces an innovative approach by co-applying scaffolds with cells, specifically utilizing autologous skin cell suspension (ASCS) technology. This method enables the delivery of a heterogeneous mix of autologous, freshly disaggregated skin cells directly to the patient’s wound. Employing a nude mouse model, our research investigates the feasibility of combining collagen/fibrin scaffolds with freshly disaggregated human skin cell suspensions (hSCS).

METHODS: Tissue-engineered skin constructs were created by seeding collagen/fibrin scaffolds (3.3 mg/mL) with human Keratinocytes, Fibroblasts, Dental Pulp Stem cells (DPSCs), and Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial cells (HUVECs). After 21-days, cells had self-assembled into epidermal/dermal layers with a histological appearance of native human skin. The constructs were then disaggregated using ASCS technology into hSCS (0.8 million cells/mL). Full-thickness circular dorsal wounds (d=8 mm) on athymic male mice (10-11 weeks, n=2) were created and treated with tissue-engineered skin constructs (control) or acellular collagen/fibrin scaffolds co-applied with hSCS on the under/top surface scaffolds or top of the scaffolds only. On day 7, wounds were assessed and prepared for H&E staining and Image J analysis.

RESULTS: Our findings reveal pronounced differences at both macroscopic and microscopic levels across all three experimental groups. The co-application of scaffolds with hSCS notably diminished both wound bed length and perimeter compared to treatments utilizing cellular tissue-engineered skin constructs. This suggests that the disaggregation process may expedite wound closure by fostering quicker healing. Specifically, in design 1, the rapid formation of a scab and significant reduction in scaffold depth underscored an accelerated and hypercellular healing response. Conversely, design 2 exhibited a more uniform cellular distribution, apparent vascularization, and preservation of scaffold depth up to day 7. These observations imply a slower matrix turnover and a more substantial role of the scaffold in maintaining wound structural integrity.

CONCLUSION: Collagen/fibrin scaffolds, when co-applied with freshly disaggregated human skin cell suspensions (hSCS), have shown potential in accelerating the healing of full-thickness wounds in mice. Our findings indicate that scaffolds yield the best outcomes when exclusively paired with disaggregated hSCS on the scaffold surface. Looking ahead, our research will explore varying hSCS concentrations, introduce additional time points for analysis, and employ further staining techniques. These steps aim to determine the most effective co-application methods and understand how changes in technique influence vascularization and the scaffold’s role in wound remodeling.

REFERENCES:

1. He C, Yang Z, Jin Y, Qi X, Chu J, Deng X. ADM Scaffolds Generate a Pro-regenerative Microenvironment During Full-Thickness Cutaneous Wound Healing Through M2 Macrophage Polarization via Lamtor1. Frontiers in physiology. 2018;9:657.

2. Gardien KLM, Pijpe A, Brouwer KM, et al. Short- and Long-term Outcomes of an Acellular Dermal Substitute versus Standard of Care in Burns and Reconstructions: A Phase I/II Intrapatient Randomized Controlled Trial. 2023;36(10):540-548.
