SINGLE-CELL SUSPENSIONS OF CULTURED HUMAN KERATINOCYTES IN FIBRIN-GLUE RECONSTITUTE THE EPIDERMIS

To overcome common disadvantages of standard cultured epidermal sheet grafts (CEG) we have developed a new technique of transplanting cultur ed human keratinocytes suspended as single cells in a fibrin-glue matr ix (Keratinocyte fibrin-glue suspension-KFGS). In an athymic mouse mod el with reproducible standardized full thickness wounds this new techn ique was compared directly to CEG, Reepithelialization was similar in both groups, but reconstitution of the dermo-epidermal junction zone, as shown by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry was significa ntly enhanced by the fibrin-glue suspension technique. The new KFGS te chnique is earlier available than sheet grafts, is able to transfer ac tively proliferative single keratinocytes, and simplifies the applicat ion. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.