Methods for the Serum-Free Culture of Keratinocytes and Transplantation of CollagenGAG-Based Skin Substitutes

Objectives for dermal-epidermal skin substitutes for treatment of acute and chronic wounds include, but are not limited to: increased availability; stimulation of wound healing by transplantation of parenchymal cells; regulation of wound healing responses; and, predictable composition and efficacy to reduce mortality and morbidity. Particularly, the importance of including a cellular component has been demonstrated in experimental grafts of cells and biopolymers (1 –7 ). Transplanted cells may include normal, nontransformed populations isolated for primary culture, or genetically modified cells to deliver specific gene products of therapeutic interest (8 –10 ). Nontransformed cells may include autologous, allogeneic, or chimeric populations within composite grafts. A variety of approaches are directed toward repair of skin wounds by restoration of the functional anatomy and physiology of skin.