Wound dressings alter the colony-forming efficiency of keratinocytes in cultured sheet grafts

Abstract

Cultured keratinocyte grafts transplanted for skin wound repair are often affixed to a wound dressing to facilitate handling. In this study, the ability of five different types of wound dressings to support cell viability and maintain stem cell populations in the cultured grafts was determined. Postconfluent keratinocyte (NHK) sheets were attached to wound dressings for 24 h and then released by trypsinization. Cell viability was determined and NHKs were assessed for clonogenic capacity by colony-forming efficiency (CFE) assays. CFEs for NHKs exposed to a collagen-bonded, bilaminate membrane and a polyurethane film were significantly less than control. On the other hand, CFEs for NHKs exposed to a collagen/alginate dressing and to petrolatum-impregnated gauze were significantly greater than control. The choice of a wound dressing carrier has implications for maintaining long-term viability of the transplanted sheet of epithelium.