A Human Full-Skin Culture System for Interventional Studies

OBJECTIVE Novel approaches to bridge the gap between clinical studies and experimental basic research of skin physiology are urgently needed. The aim of this study was to develop an effective surrogate model in which ex vivo full-thickness organ culture experiments may be performed. METHODS Human full skin from patients was placed into a stainless steel chamber and cultured at an air-liquid interphase for 4 weeks. Samples were evaluated every week by HE-staining and immunohistochemical characterization. Epidermal gene transfer kinetics was performed as an interventional study. RESULTS This ex vivo chamber model maintained the physiologic and histologic properties of the skin explants for 4 weeks. This indicated the model's acceptable ex vivo physiologic validity. No epidermolysis was observed, and both basal lamina and blood vessels were detected within all tissue samples. Transgene expression was demonstrated to be time dependent. CONCLUSION This model chamber presents a convenient, easy-to-use, and robust model in which ex vivo full-thickness organ culture experiments may be performed.