Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells in Dermatology

BACKGROUND: Clinically relevant regenerative medicine is still in its early stages of development. Difficulties in regenerating large-scale and complex structures, the lack of safety data, and the paucity of clinical trials have slowed the process of technological advance. OBJECTIVE: To familiarize the clinician with techniques available in the laboratory and experimental approaches being tested clinically. In addition, a layout is discussed for how dermatologists can lead the way in bringing regenerative medicine to clinical reality. METHODS: This article reviews the relevant literature on regenerative medicine for dermatological applications and discusses findings and techniques in a clinically relevant context. RESULTS: Multiple cell-free and cell-based approaches for regenerating dermatologic tissues have been reported in the basic science and clinical literature. These are reviewed in the order of complexity. CONCLUSION: Incremental steps are needed to apply the principles of regenerative medicine to simple medical problems first. Such a stepwise approach would commence, for example, with creation of single-function tissues that could fill soft-tissue defects and proceed to the development of fully functional skin grafts. Likewise, cell-free approaches can build the foundation for the more technically demanding cell-based strategies that are likely necessary for achieving the ultimate goal of regenerative dermatology.

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