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Preparation of a Three-Dimensional Full Thickness Skin Equivalent

Protocol
First Online:
Part of the Methods in Molecular Biology book series (MIMB, volume 1612)

Abstract

In vitro test systems are a promising alternative to animal models. Due to the use of human cells in a three-dimensional arrangement that allows cell–cell or cell–matrix interactions these models may be more predictive for the human situation compared to animal models or two-dimensional cell culture systems. Especially for dermatological research, skin models such as epidermal or full-thickness skin equivalents (FTSE) are used for different applications. Although epidermal models provide highly standardized conditions for risk assessment, FTSE facilitate a cellular crosstalk between the dermal and epidermal layer and thus can be used as more complex models for the investigation of processes such as wound healing, skin development, or infectious diseases. In this chapter, we describe the generation and culture of an FTSE, based on a collagen type I matrix and provide troubleshooting tips for commonly encountered technical problems.

Key words

3D culture Collagen Full thickness Skin equivalent In vitro test system Tissue engineering Human skin model 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

The authors kindly thank the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft and the Bayrisches Staatsministerium für Wirtschaft und Medien, Energie und Technologie (Az.:VI/3-6622/453/12) for financially supporting the work.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media LLC 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Tissue Engineering and Regenerative MedicineUniversity Hospital WuerzburgWuerzburgGermany
  2. 2.Translational Center Wuerzburg ‘Regenerative Therapies in Oncology and Musculoskeletal Diseases’, Wuerzburg Branch of the Fraunhofer-Institute Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology, IGBWuerzburgGermany

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