Transplantation of 3D cultured skin composed of fibroblasts and iPS cells derived keratinocytes

Article information
Fetal Therapy Model of Myelomeningocele with Three-Dimensional Skin Using Amniotic Fluid Cell-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.
Kajiwara K, Tanemoto T, Wada S, Karibe J, Ihara N, Ikemoto Y, Kawasaki T, Oishi Y, Samura O, Okamura K, Takada S, Akutsu H, Sago H, Okamoto A, Umezawa A.
Stem Cell Reports. 2017 Jun 6;8(6):1701-1713. PMID: 28591652

Overview
Myelomeningocele (MMC) is the most frequent neural tube obstruction defect characterized by a skin defect skin in addition to the vertebra and dura mater.

Currently there is no effective treatment method and only surgical repairs have been reported so far.

Coverage of a skin defect using a three-dimensional cultured skin enables fetal intervention to be not only less invasive but also completed by an earlier term of pregnancy because autologous cultured skin transplantation enhances wound healing.

However, it is difficult to prepare autologous skin grafts for a fetus with MMC.

Therefore, the authors attempted antenatal treatment of MMC model rats using an artificial skin made from iPS cells derived from patients with Down syndrome or patients with doublet transfusion syndrome.

A three-dimensional cultured skin was prepared with epidermis iPS cell-derived keratinocytes and dermis composed of human fibroblasts and collagen.

They also developed a protocol using Y-27632 and EGF to produce epidermis.

Finally, the artificial skin was successfully covered over MMC defect sites during pregnancy, implying a possible antenatal surgical treatment with iPS cells.