Apligraf - a living human skin equivalent for the treatment of chronic wounds

Apligraf, a manufactured living human skin equivalent, was the first true c omposite tissue analog to become commercially available. It has been approv ed by the FDA for the treatment of venous leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulce rs. The tissue engineered bi-layered skin equivalent has both an epidermis and a dermis, which consist of keratinocytes and fibroblasts derived from n eonatal foreskin and bovine collagen. The skin equivalent produces a great number of cytokines and growth factors and is immunologically well tolerate d. The product is easy to handle in clinical use and can be applied in an o utpatient setting.