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Cialdai F, Bacci S, Zizi V, Norfini A, Balsamo M, Ciccone V, Morbidelli L, Calosi L, Risaliti C, Vanhelden L, Pantalone D, Bani D, Monici M. Optimization of an Ex-Vivo Human Skin/Vein Model for Long-Term Wound Healing Studies: Ground Preparatory Activities for the 'Suture in Space' Experiment Onboard the International Space Station. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214123. [PMID: 36430601 PMCID: PMC9693847 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study is preliminary to an experiment to be performed onboard the International Space Station (ISS) and on Earth to investigate how low gravity influences the healing of sutured human skin and vein wounds. Its objective was to ascertain whether these tissue explants could be maintained to be viable ex vivo for long periods of time, mimicking the experimental conditions onboard the ISS. We developed an automated tissue culture chamber, reproducing and monitoring the physiological tensile forces over time, and a culture medium enriched with serelaxin (60 ng/mL) and (Zn(PipNONO)Cl) (28 ng/mL), known to extend viability of explanted organs for transplantation. The results show that the human skin and vein specimens remained viable for more than 4 weeks, with no substantial signs of damage in their tissues and cells. As a further clue about cell viability, some typical events associated with wound repair were observed in the tissue areas close to the wound, namely remodeling of collagen fibers in the papillary dermis and of elastic fibers in the vein wall, proliferation of keratinocyte stem cells, and expression of the endothelial functional markers eNOS and FGF-2. These findings validate the suitability of this new ex vivo organ culture system for wound healing studies, not only for the scheduled space experiment but also for applications on Earth, such as drug discovery purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Cialdai
- ASA Research Division, ASA Campus Joint Laboratory, 50134 Florence, Italy
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy
| | - Stefano Bacci
- Imaging Platform, Department Experimental and Clinical Medicine & Joint Laboratory with Department Biology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy
| | - Virginia Zizi
- Imaging Platform, Department Experimental and Clinical Medicine & Joint Laboratory with Department Biology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy
| | | | | | - Valerio Ciccone
- Department Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Lucia Morbidelli
- Department Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Laura Calosi
- Imaging Platform, Department Experimental and Clinical Medicine & Joint Laboratory with Department Biology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy
| | - Chiara Risaliti
- ASA Research Division, ASA Campus Joint Laboratory, 50134 Florence, Italy
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy
| | - Lore Vanhelden
- Imaging Platform, Department Experimental and Clinical Medicine & Joint Laboratory with Department Biology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy
- M&T Faculty, Applied Engineering and Technology, Karel de Grote University of Applied Sciences, Salesianenlaan 90, 2660 Hoboken, The Netherlands
| | - Desirée Pantalone
- Section of Surgery, Department Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Largo Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Daniele Bani
- Imaging Platform, Department Experimental and Clinical Medicine & Joint Laboratory with Department Biology, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy
- Correspondence: (D.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Monica Monici
- ASA Research Division, ASA Campus Joint Laboratory, 50134 Florence, Italy
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences “Mario Serio”, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy
- Correspondence: (D.B.); (M.M.)
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