Multiscale investigation of collagen structure in human skin and gel matrices using polarization resolved second harmonic generation microscopy.

Collagen is critical to the structure and function of skin tissues, with the collagen I/III ratios influencing fibrillogenesis, fiber organization, and skin mechanics. Abnormal collagen organization, such as in fibrosis or scar tissue, compromises both skin functionality and aesthetics. In this study, we employed label-free polarization resolved second harmonic generation (PSHG) microscopy to investigate collagen structure in artificial collagen matrices with various Col I/III ratios at the fibril scale ( 1 to ) and in ex vivo human healthy and scarred skin at the fiber scale ( to ).

Comparison of dermal and eschar fibroblasts in full skin equivalents.

Full-thickness burn wounds pose significant problems, demanding specialised therapies to avoid complications and promote recovery. Eschar tissue, which forms in response to severe burns, contains viable fibroblasts, which migrate from the surrounding tissue in response to burn injury and exhibit a myofibroblast phenotype. The goal of this study was to characterise eschar-derived fibroblasts and examine their use for engineered in vitro full skin equivalents in comparison to normal dermal fibroblasts, which were harvested from non-injured skin.

Comparing the antibacterial and healing properties of medical-grade honey and silver-based wound care products in burns.

Burns are a major global healthcare concern, often complicated by the presence of bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the wounds. Silver-based dressings are commonly used in the treatment of burns but can cause skin irritation and delay healing time. Medical-grade honey (MGH) provides an interesting alternative.

Monocytes and T cells incorporated in full skin equivalents to study innate or adaptive immune reactions after burn injury.

Introduction: Thermal injury often leads to prolonged and excessive inflammation, which hinders the recovery of patients. There is a notable absence of suitable animal-free models for investigating the inflammatory processes following burn injuries, thereby impeding the development of more effective therapies to improve burn wound healing in patients.

Methods: In this study, we established a human full skin equivalent (FSE) burn wound model and incorporated human peripheral blood-derived monocytes and T cells.

Full Skin Equivalent Models for Simulation of Burn Wound Healing, Exploring Skin Regeneration and Cytokine Response.

Healing of burn injury is a complex process that often leads to the development of functional and aesthetic complications. To study skin regeneration in more detail, organotypic skin models, such as full skin equivalents (FSEs) generated from dermal matrices, can be used. Here, FSEs were generated using de-epidermalized dermis (DED) and collagen matrices MatriDerm and Mucomaix.

Effective enzymatic debridement of burn wounds depends on the denaturation status of collagen.

The treatment of burn wounds by enzymatic debridement using bromelain has shown promising results in our burn center. However, inadequate debridement occurred in a few cases in which the etiology of the burn was attributed to relatively low temperature burns. We hypothesized that bromelain is ineffective in burns in which collagen denaturation, which occurs approximately at 65°C, has not taken place.