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. 2022 Dec 26;44(Suppl 1):S57–S64. doi: 10.1093/jbcr/irac074

Table 1.

Evolution of SASS production methods

Authors Year Production time Characteristics
Michel et al.9 1999 78 days Split-thickness self-assembled bilayered substitute with differentiated epidermis and hair follicle insertions. 4 dermal layers. F+K. Ideal for topical drug permeation studies.
Laplante et al.10 2001 56 days Shorter individual dermal sheet production time. 3 dermal layers produce a thicker substitute and permit wound reepithelization studies. F+K. No skin appendages.
Pouliot et al.11 2002 50 days/ 71 days Self-assembled skin substitutes were transplanted on athymic mice before epidermal differentiation or were left to differentiate in vitro for 21 days at the air-liquid interface. Demonstrated that the skin construct is an ideal tissue- engineered skin substitute in preclinical models.
Bellemare et al.16 2005 - This model uses pathological cells (F+K) to accurately modelize scarring mechanisms. This also showed cells with varying fibrotic origins produce tissue-engineered substitutes with different phenotypes.
Trottier et al.17 2008 Minimum 56 days Trilayered skin substitutes were produced from differentiated adipose-derived stem cells (ASC), fibroblasts, and keratinocytes. ASCs were also shown to be an effective substitute for fibroblasts in the skin’s dermal component. F+K+ASCs.
Gauvin et al.12 2012 Minimum 42 days Multiple culture variables were compared. F+K. Tissue-engineered skin surface area did not affect contraction, however, keratinocyte differentiation positively correlated with lower contraction values.
Lavoie et al.15 2013 Minimum 45 days Tissue-engineered skins allow the preservation of stem cells in the basal layer of the epidermis. F+K.
Beaudoin-Cloutier et al.10 2015 31 days A previously decellularized self-assembled matrix is used as a scaffold for subsequent skin substitute production. F+K. This eliminates the delay of matrix production by autologous fibroblasts before keratinocyte seeding.
Morissette-Martin et al.18 2015 24 days This method cultured ASCs to form a thick adipocyte sheet bandage to assist normal wound healing mechanisms in vivo. No dermal or epidermal component was included in the reconstructed tissue.
Larouche et al.11 2016 31 days/ 38 days 3 new methods were developed to produce SASS quicker, with the lengthier version having the advantage of displaying less contraction. Respectively, two are 2 weeks, the other 1 week quicker than the original method.
Molina Martins et al.19 2020 50 days This experiment established the capability of tissue-engineered skin to respond to UV radiation in a relatively similar manner to native skin, making it a good model for UV-focused skin damage studies.
Kawecki et al.20 2021 41 days This study examined the morphological differences between a 35cm2 (standard size) and 289cm2 (large size) SASS. Production time was the same, as was histology, contraction, thickness, and grafting.

ASC, adipose stem/stromal cells; Endo, endothelial cells; F, fibroblasts; K, keratinocytes; SASS, self-assembled skin substitute.