Skin is the largest organ in our body. One of the most commonly populated cells in skin fibroblasts that have been demonstrated to have multi-functionality. If you are venturing into any of the below applications, Kosheeka’s dermal fibroblasts could be your go-to cells.
- Skin Tissue engineering
Dermal fibroblasts play a very substantial role in skin tissue engineering. Fibroblasts display stem cell-like properties and aid in wound healing and angiogenesis that can help in skin renewal. Dermal fibroblasts also help in synthesis of the epidermis that consists of keratinocytes, melanocytes, and epithelial cells. Combined with an appropriate biomaterial, dermal fibroblasts can be used as skin graft alternatives for wounds and burns. This will help in stimulation of the deeper layers of the skin.
- Study of skin biology
Skin has a unique population of unspecialized stem cells that undergo renewal throughout the lifetime of an individual. As the skin aging, the regenerative capacity reduces and there is a reduction in the number as well as the mobilization of stem cells. Dermal fibroblasts help in extracellular matrix remodeling by secretion of various growth factors such as collagen. They undergo rapid proliferation and have shown to play a role in skin healing as well. This can restore elasticity of the skin. Since healing is an interplay of various cell types, fibroblasts can help in study of potential mechanisms of healing, inflammation, and senescence. Finally, we can also study the molecular mechanism of various genetic conditions and melanomas.
- Testing topical products
A lot of medicinal and cosmetic products are being developed for either anti-aging purposes or for targeting a specific skin condition. Dermal fibroblasts can be excellent models for testing topically applied products. Since they are very easy to grow and require relatively less maintenance, they are a good choice to perform drug toxicity assays and study growth patterns, etc. Further, they can be expanded and banked very easily from a small amount of tissue.
- Disease Modelling
The Nobel Prize-winning reprogramming technique on fibroblasts has made them a very popular tool for iPSC research. This can help in disease modeling and even therapeutic purposes. Fibroblasts from the skin biopsy of a deceased individual can be isolated and reprogrammed using a cocktail of pluripotent markers to form iPSCs that can help in understanding disease pathology, find drug targets and finally transplanted back into an individual for disease correction.
