Sprayed keratinocyte suspensions accelerate epidermal coverage in a porcine microwound model

Keratinocyte suspensions can potentiality treat a variety of epidermal defe cts, but the mechanism of action has not been fully determined. We develope d a porcine model to study the effect of sprayed cell suspensions delivered on small wounds within a meshed autograft. Paired full-thickness surgicall y excised wounds were covered with a fully expanded 3:1 meshed split-thickn ess autograft. A keratinocyte cell suspension was sprayed onto half of the wounds at a seeding density of 2.8 x 10(3) cells/cm(2); the remaining wound s were sprayed with cell culture medium alone. Histologic analysis at days 5 and 8 showed an increase in average epidermal thickness, confluence, kera tin cysts, and blood vessels in the keratinocyte cell suspension group comp ared with the cell culture medium control group. Wounds sprayed with the ce ll suspension showed faster and better quality of epithelialization than wo unds sprayed with cell culture medium alone.