gms | German Medical Science

128. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Chirurgie

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Chirurgie

03.05. - 06.05.2011, München

Development of a photosynthetic dermal substitute

Meeting Abstract

  • Jose Tomas Egana - Technische Universität München, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Plastic and hand Surgery, München
  • Ursula Hopfner - Technische Universität München, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Plastic and hand Surgery, München
  • Yves Harder - Technische Universität München, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Plastic and hand Surgery, München
  • Ann Reckhenrich - Technische Universität München, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Plastic and hand Surgery, München
  • Thilo Schenck - Technische Universität München, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Plastic and hand Surgery, München
  • Mathias Kremer - Technische Universität München, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Plastic and hand Surgery, München
  • Jörg Nickelsen - Faculty of Biology; Ludwig Maximilians Universität, Botanic, München

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Chirurgie. 128. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Chirurgie. München, 03.-06.05.2011. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2011. Doc11dgch169

doi: 10.3205/11dgch169, urn:nbn:de:0183-11dgch1698

Veröffentlicht: 20. Mai 2011

© 2011 Egana et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open Access-Artikel und steht unter den Creative Commons Lizenzbedingungen (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.de). Er darf vervielfältigt, verbreitet und öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, vorausgesetzt dass Autor und Quelle genannt werden.


Gliederung

Text

Introduction: Tissue engineering opened a new therapeutic avenue that promised a revolution in regenerative medicine. However, clinical results are disappointed. The biggest problem is the lack of vascularisation of engineered tissues, which strongly limit their regenerative potential. Here we hypothesised that the combined use of scaffolds for dermal regeneration with photosynthetic cells could generate “photosynthetic dermal substitutes” which provides an alternative source of oxygen to blood vessels.

Materials and methods: Photosynthetic cells were incorporated in scaffolds containing fibroblasts. Afterwards, scaffolds were placed under hypoxic conditions and the oxygen levels, hypoxic markers and cell metabolism of the cells were measured in vitro. In vivo, scaffolds containing photosynthetic cells were used to induce dermal regeneration in a full skin defect mouse model.

Results: Results showed that unicellular algae can be co-cultured with fibroblasts in a collagen scaffold. Under low oxygen conditions, oxygen released by the algae fulfilled the metabolic requirements of fibroblasts thus avoiding hypoxia and cell death. In vivo, photosynthetic scaffolds enhanced dermal regeneration in a full skin defect model, generating chimerical tissues composed of algae and mouse cells.

Conclusion: The results obtained here are the first step to develop autotrophic tissues for human transplantation.