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Skin

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Regenerative Medicine

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Abstract

Skin is the largest organ in the human body. Its surface ranges in average between 1.5 and 1.8 m2 and the thickness varies between 0.5 (lower eyelid) and 15 mm (foot sole) in a young healthy adult, resulting in a tissue volume of 7,500–27,000 mm3. The skin has to fulfill a magnitude of physiological organic tasks, which is indicated by the variety of tissue thicknesses. These tasks include mechanistic, metabolic, energetic and immunologic aspects. Skin was the first organ which had been tissue engineered in vitro and translated back into clinical application. Therefore it is a prime target for regenerative therapies, not only due to its easy accessibility but also, because of the fact that skin is one of the most active and continuously regenerating organs and therefore a fascinating model to learn more about the human body’s intrinsic regenerative mechanisms.

This book chapter focuses on the regenerative capacities of skin tissue and its comprising cell compartments and explains how the principles of skin regeneration may be translated into clinical practice.

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Abbreviations

TEN:

Toxic epidermal necrolysis

EPO:

Erythropoietin

EPOR2:

EPO Receptor 2

EPOβ 1/2:

EPO Receptor β 1 or 2

TNF-α:

Tumour Necrosis Factor α

IL-2:

Interleukin 2

IL-6:

Interleukin 6

IL-8:

Interleukin 8

TGFβ 1–3:

Transforming growth factor beta 1–3

PDGF:

Platelet-derived growth factor

PLC:

Phospholipase C

PKB:

Proteinkinase B

NFκB:

Nuclear factor ‘kappa-light-chain-enhancer’ of activated B-cells

BAD:

Bcl-2-Antagonist of Cell Death

GSK-3β:

Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3

NO:

Nitric oxide

Ca:

Calcium

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic for Plastic and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany

    Hans-Günther Machens M.D.

  2. Clinical Trials Research Group, Clinic for Plastic and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, Munich, Germany

    Christina Irene Günter M.D.

  3. Stem Cell Biology and Cell Technology, Medical Faculty, Biotechnological-Biomedical Center (BBZ), Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5, D-04103, Leipzig, Germany

    Augustinus Bader M.D.

Authors
  1. Hans-Günther Machens M.D.
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  2. Christina Irene Günter M.D.
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  3. Augustinus Bader M.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hans-Günther Machens M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Klinik und Poliklinik für Herzchirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Rostock, Schillingallee 35, Rostock, 18057, Germany

    Gustav Steinhoff

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Machens, HG., Günter, C.I., Bader, A. (2013). Skin. In: Steinhoff, G. (eds) Regenerative Medicine. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5690-8_43

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