Biomaterial Database

Tumorigenicity Testing in Athymic Mice of Cultured Human Melanocytes for Transplantation in Engineered Skin Substitutes. 2015

Steven T Boyce, and Rachel L Zimmerman, and Dorothy M Supp

Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.

Autologous engineered skin substitutes (ESS) have been shown to close excised, full-thickness burns, but are consistently hypopigmented due to depletion of human melanocytes (hM) during culture of keratinocytes. Hypothetically, addition of hM to ESS may restore uniform pigmentation, but may also promote neoplasia and tumor formation. To evaluate this risk, 16 strains of hM were isolated and propagated in selective culture medium, then injected subcutaneously into athymic mice (1 × 10(7) hM/animal; n = 6/strain) and followed for 24 weeks. Human melanoma cells (SK-Mel-2, SK-Mel-5) served as positive controls. No detectable tumors formed from hM strains derived from normal skin. In contrast, SK-Mel-2 formed tumors in 50% of mice, and SK-Mel-5 formed tumors in 83% of mice. Histopathology confirmed the tumorigenic anatomy of the controls and the presence of hM that were not tumorigenic in the test groups. These results support the safety of cultured hM for transplantation to restore uniform skin pigmentation in wounds closed with ESS.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008544	Melanocytes	Mammalian pigment cells that produce MELANINS, pigments found mainly in the EPIDERMIS, but also in the eyes and the hair, by a process called melanogenesis. Coloration can be altered by the number of melanocytes or the amount of pigment produced and stored in the organelles called MELANOSOMES. The large non-mammalian melanin-containing cells are called MELANOPHORES.	Melanocyte
D008545	Melanoma	A malignant neoplasm derived from cells that are capable of forming melanin, which may occur in the skin of any part of the body, in the eye, or, rarely, in the mucous membranes of the genitalia, anus, oral cavity, or other sites. It occurs mostly in adults and may originate de novo or from a pigmented nevus or malignant lentigo. Melanomas frequently metastasize widely, and the regional lymph nodes, liver, lungs, and brain are likely to be involved. The incidence of malignant skin melanomas is rising rapidly in all parts of the world. (Stedman, 25th ed; from Rook et al., Textbook of Dermatology, 4th ed, p2445)	Malignant Melanoma,Malignant Melanomas,Melanoma, Malignant,Melanomas,Melanomas, Malignant
D008819	Mice, Nude	Mutant mice homozygous for the recessive gene "nude" which fail to develop a thymus. They are useful in tumor studies and studies on immune responses.	Athymic Mice,Mice, Athymic,Nude Mice,Mouse, Athymic,Mouse, Nude,Athymic Mouse,Nude Mouse
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012867	Skin	The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.
D012880	Skin Pigmentation	Coloration of the skin.	Skin Color,Skin Tone,Color, Skin,Colors, Skin,Pigmentation, Skin,Pigmentations, Skin,Skin Colors,Skin Pigmentations,Skin Tones,Tone, Skin,Tones, Skin