Novel collagen/gelatin scaffold with sustained release of basic fibroblast growth factor: clinical trial for chronic skin ulcers.

Chronic skin ulcers such as diabetic ulcers and venous leg ulcers are increasing and are a costly problem in healthcare. We have developed a novel artificial dermis, collagen/gelatin sponge (CGS), which is capable of sustained release of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) for more than 10 days. The objective of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of CGS impregnated with bFGF in the treatment of chronic skin ulcers.

Immediate evaluation of neovascularization in a grafted bilayered artificial dermis using laser Doppler imaging.

Background: A bilayered artificial dermis is widely applied for skin defects. Its collagen sponge is biodegraded and replaced with dermis-like tissue after application. There is no reliable method for quantitatively evaluating the blood flow of artificial dermis.

An exploratory clinical study on the safety and efficacy of an autologous fibroblast-seeded artificial skin cultured with animal product-free medium in patients with diabetic foot ulcers.

Cultured dermal substitutes have been used for the treatment of chronic skin ulcers; however, the biological risks of animal-derived materials in the culture process such as foetal bovine serum (FBS) have been reported. In this study, we prepared an autologous fibroblast-seeded artificial dermis (AFD) using animal-product-free medium supplemented with 2% patient autologous serum and without any animal-derived materials such as trypsin in the culturing process. We applied the AFD in five patients with diabetic ulcers and investigated its safety and efficacy.

Evaluation of a novel collagen-gelatin scaffold for achieving the sustained release of basic fibroblast growth factor in a diabetic mouse model.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of a scaffold, collagen-gelatin sponge (CGS), to release basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in a sustained manner, using a pressure-induced decubitus ulcer model involving genetically diabetic mice. We confirmed that CGSs impregnated with a bFGF concentration of up to 50 µg/cm(2) were able to sustain the release of bFGF throughout their biodegradation. We prepared decubitus ulcers on diabetic mice.

An exploratory clinical trial for combination wound therapy with a novel medical matrix and fibroblast growth factor in patients with chronic skin ulcers: a study protocol.

Background: Chronic skin ulcers such as diabetic ulcers and venous leg ulcers are increasing and are a costly problem in health care. We have developed a novel artificial dermis, collagen/gelatin sponge (CGS), that is capable of the sustained release of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) for more than 10 days. The objective of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of CGS impregnated with bFGF in the treatment of chronic skin ulcers.

Collagen-gelatin scaffold impregnated with bFGF accelerates palatal wound healing of palatal mucosa in dogs.

Background: We have developed a collagen-gelatin sponge (CGS) as a scaffold capable of the sustained release of bFGF to improve the healing process of the existing collagen scaffold. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of CGS impregnated with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in palatal wound healing in beagles.

Materials And Methods: Four standardized 6 mm diameter full-thickness wounds were made in the palate of each dog and covered with CGS impregnated with normal saline or bFGF at concentrations of 1 μg/cm2, 7 μg/cm2 and 14 μg/cm2.

Efficacy of novel collagen/gelatin scaffold with sustained release of basic fibroblast growth factor for dermis-like tissue regeneration.

We have developed collagen/gelatin sponges (CGS) with a gelatin concentration of 10 wt% to sustain the release of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The objective of this study is to elucidate the efficacy of CGS impregnated with different concentrations of bFGF, using mouse skin defects. CGSs impregnated with normal saline solution (NSS) or bFGF solution (1, 7, 14, or 50 μg/cm) were implanted into full-thickness skin defects on the backs of mice.

The utilization of animal product-free media and autologous serum in an autologous dermal substitute culture.

Background: Cultured dermal substitutes are used for the treatment of skin ulcers. However, the biological risks of fetal bovine serum (FBS) in the culture process have been reported. The use of the patient's autologous serum (AS) is another possibility, but the amount available is limited.

Preparation of collagen/gelatin sponge scaffold for sustained release of bFGF.

Artificial dermis (AD) has been used to regenerate dermis-like tissues in the treatment of full-thickness skin defects, but it takes 2 or 3 weeks to complete dermal regeneration. Our previous study demonstrated that injection of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-impregnated gelatin microspheres (MS) into the AD accelerates the regeneration of dermis-like tissue. However, injection of gelatin MS before clinical use is complicated and time consuming.

In vivo culturing of a bilayered dermal substitute with adipo-stromal cells.

Background: Skin grafting is an important procedure to cover skin defects. Recently, cultured epidermal sheets and bilayered cultured skin have been used clinically, but they lack subcutaneous tissue. The objective of this study was to produce a bilayered dermal substitute with adipose tissue simultaneously in vivo.

Nicotine at a low concentration promotes wound healing.

Background: The adverse effects of smoking on wound healing of the skin are known clinically. Recently, an endogenous cholinergic pathway for angiogenesis mediated by endothelial nicotinic acetylcholine receptors was discovered. The objective of this study was to investigate the appropriate concentration of nicotine at which angiogenesis and wound healing are accelerated in a murine excisional wound model.

Resurfacing of the donor defect with a second toe plantar flag flap after free first toe pulp flap.

A second toe plantar flap was attached to the donor site after a free first toe pulp flap. Twenty-two days postoperatively, the wound had almost healed. Although the whole defect is impossible to cover with this flap, partial resurfacing will reduce the healing time and morbidity from recurrent ulceration.

Giant basal cell carcinoma: improvement in the quality of life after extensive resection.

We describe a rare case of giant basal cell carcinoma which invaded the orbital tissue and the anterior skull base. Though the eyeball in the right orbit was preserved with the tumour at the patient's request, the improvement in the quality of the patient's life was achieved.

An acquired giant vascular tumour of the breast.

We present a rare case of an acquired giant vascular tumour of the breast that was diagnosed as angiomatosis. It was characterised by the mixture of blood-filled haemangiomatous, and apparently empty lymphangiomatous, vascular channels. The breast remnant returned to a normal configuration and contour without breast reduction.