• Jürgen Kopp, Guang Y Wang, Peter Kulmburg, Stefan Schultze-Mosgau, Jing N Huan, Kang Ying, Harun Seyhan, Mark D Jeschke, Ulrich Kneser, Alexander D Bach, Sheng D Ge, Steven Dooley, and Raymund E Horch.
• Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, University Medical Center, Friedrich-Alexander-University, 91054 Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. juergen.kopp@chir.imed.uni-erlangen.de
• Mol. Ther. 2004 Jul 1;10(1):86-96.

AbstractEpidermal regeneration is a complex process, strongly influenced by growth factors, including keratinocyte growth factor (KGF). The objective of this study was to establish immortalized HaCaT keratinocytes and KMST-6-fibroblasts stably expressing KGF. Transfection efficiency, genomic integration, and functionality of the transgene were determined by ELISA and PCR, and KGF-expressing clones were selected using an air-liquid interface test system. HaCaT cells displayed stronger transgene expression compared to transfected fibroblasts, and the most effective HaCaT clone was incubated on a membrane carrier to form a "membrane cell graft." Twenty-one superficial second-degree burn wounds were created in each of three pigs, and wound healing capacity of the generated "polypeptide cell delivery system" after grafting was examined. Untransfected HaCaT keratinocytes and membrane-covered and untreated burn wounds served as controls. Histological and macroscopical follow-up revealed that grafting of transfected HaCaT cells resulted in complete reepithelialization within 5 days, while wounds covered with untransfected cells needed 2 days longer. At untreated sites, a thin epithelium was detectable after 10 days. The results indicate that wound healing processes can be stimulated distinctly by growth factors secreted from HaCaT cells, with a prominent role for transgenic KGF.

26 keywords...

hide…