[The various uses of in-vitro reconstituted skin]

Skin is one of the most suitable organ to assess reconstruction in vitro. After forming dermis, by incubation of fibroblasts within a network of collagen fibers, a layer of cultured keratinocytes reconstruct the epidermis. This tissue, even though imperfect, represents a valuable tool for the study of cell physiology, the demonstration of interaction between cell and their support and exchange of information between cells of different types. Within the model, cells acquire a state of differentiation close to that observed in vivo. Reconstructed skin may be used for the study of physiopathology of various cutaneous diseases and allows pharmacotoxicological studies. Keratinocytes in culture, as well as the reconstructed skin, have been successfully used for grafting cutaneous defects.