Advanced Technologies in Dermatology

Cellular therapies are an attractive area of regenerative medicine. For large partial thickness wound, keratinocytes transplant is suggested. The transplantation of cell graft is achieved by obtaining large amounts of cultured cells from a skin biopsy in 3 weeks. Stem cells can be applied before that, but are also efficient in chronic wound closure. Alternative treatment methods are transplants of allogeneic, biostatic skin and amnion. Amnion can be applied as a skin substitute on shallow facialburn wounds, hand burn wounds, on donor areas and granulating wounds. For medium depth or even deep burns, allogeneic skin is recommended. Thanks to the removing of cells from human allogeneic dermis, collagen scaffolding is obtained. It can be populated de novo by autologous skin cells. Artificial skin substitutes are especially good for hand burns and shallow burns. Even though scarring is a part of normal wound healing, it often leads to a pathological process. When scar treatment methods prove insufficient, surgical intervention becomes necessary. Surgical scar intervention involves removal of the pathological skin tissue fragment and replacing it with healthy skin or application of expanders. Improvement of the visual features can be also achieved by laser therapy

Resource-Based View of Laboratory Management: Tissue Bank ATMP Production as a Model

Modern health care organizations, e.g., tissue banks, require a resource-based view (RBV) for an efficient stimulation of innovation, productivity, and performance, especially in the context of laboratory management and new product development. High quality advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) are expected to bring important health benefits; therefore, their production has to be performed in accordance with good manufacturing practice (GMP). Although there are no precisely defined criteria for quality control/evaluation methods of obtained ATMPs, all aspects of pharmaceutical quality of ATMPs’ development, manufacturing, distribution, inspection, and review processes ought to be strictly fulfilled. Explicit performance management and production regimes in accordance with pharmacopeia and RBV philosophy have been proposed in this chapter

Alternative to Poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) with a Reduced Ability to Crystallize and Physiological LCST

In this work, we sought to examine whether the presence of alkyl substituents randomly distributed within the main chain of a 2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline-based copolymer will decrease its ability to crystallize when compared to its homopolymer. At the same time, we aimed to ensure an appropriate hydrophilic/lipophilic balance in the copolymer and maintain the phase transition in the vicinity of the human body temperature. For this reason, copolymers of 2-ethyl-4-methyl-2-oxazoline and 2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline were synthesized. The thermoresponsive behavior of the copolymers in water, the influence of salt on the cloud point, the presence of hysteresis of the phase transition and the crystallization ability in a water solution under long-term heating conditions were studied by turbidimetry. The ability of the copolymers to crystallize in the solid state, and their thermal properties, were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry. A cytotoxicity assay was used to estimate the viability of human fibroblasts in the presence of the obtained polymers. The results allowed us to demonstrate a nontoxic alternative to poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) (PiPrOx) with a physiological phase transition temperature (LCST) and a greatly reduced tendency to crystallize. The synthesis of 2-oxazoline polymers with such well-defined properties is important for future biomedical applications

Alternative to Poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) with a Reduced Ability to Crystallize and Physiological LCST

In this work, we sought to examine whether the presence of alkyl substituents randomly distributed within the main chain of a 2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline-based copolymer will decrease its ability to crystallize when compared to its homopolymer. At the same time, we aimed to ensure an appropriate hydrophilic/lipophilic balance in the copolymer and maintain the phase transition in the vicinity of the human body temperature. For this reason, copolymers of 2-ethyl-4-methyl-2-oxazoline and 2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline were synthesized. The thermoresponsive behavior of the copolymers in water, the influence of salt on the cloud point, the presence of hysteresis of the phase transition and the crystallization ability in a water solution under long-term heating conditions were studied by turbidimetry. The ability of the copolymers to crystallize in the solid state, and their thermal properties, were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffractometry. A cytotoxicity assay was used to estimate the viability of human fibroblasts in the presence of the obtained polymers. The results allowed us to demonstrate a nontoxic alternative to poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) (PiPrOx) with a physiological phase transition temperature (LCST) and a greatly reduced tendency to crystallize. The synthesis of 2-oxazoline polymers with such well-defined properties is important for future biomedical applications

Evaluation of the impact of decellularization and sterilization on tensile strength transgenic porcinedermal dressings

The aim of this paper was to evaluate which method of acellularization and sterilization is optimal, in the meaning of which processes have the least impact on the deterioration of mechanical properties of porcine tissues used for xenogeneic applications. Methods: The static tensile probe was conducted for 80 skin specimens obtained from transgenic swine, which are used as a wound dressing for skin recipient. Obtained data were subsequently analyzed with the use of statistical methods. Results: It was found that Young’s modulus for the samples after the sterilization process for the dispase substance and the mixed method (SDS + trypsin) were statistically significantly changed. In the case of dispase, Young’s modulus value before the sterilization process was 12.4 MPa and after the value increased to 28.0 MPa. For the mixed method (SDS + trypsin) before the sterilization process Young’s modulus value was 5.6 MPa and after it was increased to 6.3 MPa. The mixed method (SDS + trypsin) had the slightest effect on changing the mechanical properties of the samples before and after the sterilization process. Conclusions: It was confirmed that different methods of acellularization and the process of sterilization have an influence on the change of mechanical properties of the skin of transgenic swine. In the authors’ opinion, the mixed method (SDS + trypsin) should be recommended as the best one for the preparation of transgenic porcine dermal dressings because it ensures a smaller probability of dressing’s damage during a surgical procedure

Own experience from the use of a substitute of an allogeneic acellular dermal matrix revitalized with in vitro cultured skin cells in clinical practice

As a result of the removal of cells from human allogeneic dermis, a collagen scaffold is obtained, which can be populated de novo with autologous/allogeneic skin cells and transplanted onto the area of skin loss. The optimal method for production of acellular dermal matrices (ADM) has been selected. Three female patients (a mean age of 54 years) were subjected to the transplantation of either autologous or allogeneic keratinocytes and fibroblasts into the holes of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) mesh graft. The method for burn wound treatment based on the use of a viable dermal-epidermal skin substitute (based on ADM and in vitro cultured fibroblasts and keratinocytes) may be the optimal method of burn treatment

Amnion as an Innovative Antiseptic Carrier: A Comparison of the Efficacy of Allogeneic and Xenogeneic Transplantations in the Context of Burn Therapy

Background and Objectives: The amniotic membrane is widely used in the treatment of chronic wounds, in toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and in the treatment of burns. In our clinical practice, we use amniotic dressings on shallow skin wounds caused by burns. Counteracting infections is an important aspect of working with burn wounds. Therefore, the main goals of this work are to demonstrate the usefulness of amniotic membrane soaked in antiseptics for the prevention of wound infections and to compare the antibacterial efficacy of selected variants of allogeneic and xenogeneic amniotic membrane grafts soaked in specific antiseptic agents. Materials and Methods: The studied material consisted of human and pig placenta. The human and animal amnions were divided in two parts. The first part consisted of amniotic discs placed on rigid mesh discs and preparing the fresh amnion. The second part of the amnion was frozen at a temperature of −80 °C for 24 h. Then, it was radio-sterilized with a dose of 35 kGy. The amniotic discs were placed on rigid mesh to prepare the radiation-sterilized amnion. The amniotic discs were placed in a 12-well plate and immersed in 3 mL of the appropriate antiseptic solutions: Prontosan, Braunol, Borasol, Microdacyn, Octenilin, Sutrisept, and NaCl as a control. The amniotic discs were incubated in antiseptics for 3 h. The microbiological tests were conducted by placing the antiseptic-infused amniotic discs on microbiological media inoculated with hospital strains. Results: The largest average zone of growth inhibition was observed in dressings soaked with Sutrisept, Braunol, and Prontosan. The greatest inhibition of bacterial growth was achieved for radiation-sterilized porcine amnion impregnated with Braunol and Sutrisept, as well as for radiation-sterilized human amnion impregnated with Braunol. Conclusions: Human and porcine amniotic membrane is effective in carrying antiseptics. Radiation-sterilized amnion seems to inhibit the growth of microorganisms better than fresh amnion