Foreskin keratinocyte (neonatal)

Skin, the largest organ of the human body, plays the main role in protecting the body from mechanical damage. It is composed of epidermal, dermal and hypodermal layers. The barrier function of the skin owed to its avascular epidermal layer, which is made mainly of keratinocytes. The keratinocytes form a stratified epithelium, with growing basal cells at the innermost layer and the keratinized, and mostly impermeable outer stratum corneum layer on the surface . Foreskin keratinocytes are a form of skin cells that are cultured as a skin cell replacement for wounds, to accelerate wound closure and healing , . The defining moment in skin culture was in 1975 when Rheinwald and Green successfully grew human keratinocytes on lethally irradiated murine fibroblasts. In 1981, O’Conner and his group utilized cultured autologous epithelium to coat burn defects for the first time. To construct a "living" alternative, a dermal substitute based on collagen I gel was created with mesenchymal cells such as fibroblasts. When an epidermal layer was added, this approach became known as "skin equivalent", "composite culture" or "organotypical culture" . Foreskin keratinocytes are an important ingredient in several skin substitutes , used for various indications. Keratinocytes are derived from neonatal foreskins and used to create a drug called Apligraf, a mixture of Foreskin fibroblast (neonatal) and keratinocytes. A gel made of bovine collagen is used as the matrix for cell growth and differentiation. Apligraf has been useful in the treatment of venous leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers, by increasing rates of wound healing and decreasing the time required for closure of wounds . Orcel, another skin substitute, is similar to Apligraf since it contains both fibroblasts and keratinocytes derived from neonatal foreskin, but in addition, utilizes a type I collagen sponge as its matrix. It is used for grafting onto partial-thickness wounds, where it offers a favorable matrix for host cell migration .