In vitro construction of a potential skin substitute through direct human keratinocyte plating onto decellularized glycerol-preserved allodermis.

This work demonstrates that glycerol-preserved acellular allodermis can be used as support for the proliferation of human keratinocytes and that the characteristics of this bioengineered tissue suggest its possible use as a permanent skin substitute for therapeutic challenges such as extensive burns as well as its possible use as an in vitro model for pharmacological studies. The removal of all basal membrane components during preparation of the dermal support also provides an original in vitro situation that allows observation of the reorganization of the dermal-epidermal junction. The tissue composite obtained is constituted of dermis covered by a well attached, multistratified epithelium with morphological characteristics that resemble human epidermis as evidenced by light and transmission electron microscopy, including the neoformation, albeit incomplete, of the dermal-epidermal junction. Assessment of involucrin and cytokeratin 14 expression by immunohistochemical assays established differentiation patterns. Both immerse and air-liquid interface culture systems were tested.