Norwich Skin Platform Wound Healing Model (NSPwoundhealing)

What is this?

Skin wound healing is a complex and multicellular process essential to maintain the skins primary function of protection the body from the bacterial and environmental challenges of the external environment.

A range of processes are involved in normal wound healing, including replacement and remodelling of the structural dermal extracellular matrix and re-epithelialisation of the epidermal layer to maintain an efficient and effective barrier function.

Using our experience of using human skin as a model to study normal and inflammed cutaneous skin conditions we have developed an ex vivo model system to allow analysis and testing of modulators of the re-epithelialisation process.

Using 8mm full thickness skin biopsies we can generate a 3mm "wound" by removal of the epidermal layer, we refer to this as a ‘donut model’. These biopsies are cultured with a physiologically relevant air-liquid interface which allows the wound bed to be accessed for topical application or alternatively systemic treatments may be added to the surrounding media.