Skin

Biopredic International provides different types of human skin samples:

• full-thickness and dermatomed abdominal and breast skin, provided as sheets or discs of different diameters (from 5 to 40 mm), with or without stretch marks. 

For dermatomed skin samples, part of the dermis is removed and the thickness of the skin ranges from 300 to 700 µm.
Biopredic also provides Stratum Corneum prepared from different anatomical sites:

• scalp with our without hair follicles
• upper and lower eye lid
• arm
• thigh
• back

Key features of all human skin samples

• A Certificate Of Analysis is provided, showing information on the patient such as sample photos, age, sex, body mass index (BMI), ethnicity, possible disease states, living habits etc… 
• Customised preparations are available on demand (specific shape, thickness for dermatomed skin, use of customer medium for shipment from Biopredic to your premises…)
• Specific patient characteristics such as (but not limited to) the presence or absence of stretch marks, phototype, age, sex, ethnicity, Body Mass Index (BMI) can be requested.
• Available with one or two freezing cycles
• Tested negative for HIV1/2, HBV, HCV
• Delivered fresh or frozen:
• Fresh skin samples are shipped at 4°C on gaze soaked with a special medium which maintains the viability and integrity of the skin during shipment. Fresh samples can be shipped within the same day as surgery.
• Frozen skins are shipped in dry ice.
• Can also be fixed and embedded: FFPE, OCT or following your specific protocol (please inquire)

For animal skin tissues and skin-derived products

• Sanitary controls are documented by animal provider’s health certificates, insuring that animal was sheltered in duly authorised breeding facility.
• Skin-derived products are collected from several animal species.
• Tissue quality is documented via macroscopic parameters: control of presence of scars, pen marks, cysts, moles. 
• The dermatomed thickness is also measured.
• All skin-derived products are available fresh or frozen, in sheets or disks.
• Fresh skin is delivered in culture medium (Biopredic’s or the customers’)
• Frozen sample: skin can be delivered with one or two freezing cycles, depending on species and tissue availability.

Animal skin is used for penetration, toxicological and pharmacological studies or cell isolation.

Dermal fibroblasts are an essential component of the dermis; they not only produce and organize the extracellular matrix of the dermis but they also communicate with each other and with other cell types, playing a crucial role in regulating skin physiology. Like other cells producing connective tissue, fibroblasts are derived from primitive mesenchymes.

Human dermal fibroblasts are extensively used for a wide range of cellular and molecular studies: ECM protein analysis, wound healing, skin therapy/models, cosmetic testing, collagen metabolism, etc. They are also used for toxicology, pharmacology and drug development.

Key features of human dermal fibroblasts from Biopredic International: 

• Isolated from different locations of adult skin: abdominal, face and breast
• Single donors and pooled donors (3 donors minimum) 
• Information regarding gender, age and BMI are provided 
• Special requests can include the availability of donor matched sets of dermal fibroblasts, keratinocytes and preadipocytes
• All the cells are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast and fungi
• Possibility to test and/or reserve batches
• Available as cryopreserved cells - cryopreservation at passage 2 (5.10⁵ cells/vial)
• Controls performed on fibroblasts include morphology and cell density, viability and proliferation
• For culture medium, controls include physicochemistry and microbiological specifications.

It is recommended to use fibroblast medium that has been developed for the in-vitro cultivation of adult human fibroblasts by Biopredic International. It contains a basal medium that is supplemented with mixtures containing serum and antibiotics.

Human keratinocytes are an essential component of the epidermis. They form a barrier against external damage including viruses, bacteria, UV radiation, and all potential environmental attacks. They have a major role in the inflammatory response.

Human keratinocytes are used for a wide range of cellular and molecular studies: skin therapy/models, cosmetic testing, etc. They are also used for toxicology, pharmacology and drug development.

Human keratinocytes are isolated from adult human skin and cultured over one to three passages and then frozen.

Key features of human keratinocytes from Biopredic International:

• Isolated from different locations of adult skin: abdominal, face and breast
• Single donors and pool of donors (3 donors minimum) 
• Information regarding gender, age and BMI are provided 
• Special requests can include the availability of donor matched sets of keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts, and preadipocytes
• All the cells are negative for HIV-1, HBV, HCV, mycoplasma, bacteria, yeast and fungi
• Possibility to test and/or reserve batches
• Available as cryopreserved cells - cryopreservation at passage 1 (5.10⁵ cells/vial)
• Controls performed on keratinocytes include morphology and cell density, viability, proliferation and clonogenicity.

Skin fractions include human and animal (rat, minipig, mouse,…) cryopreserved cytosols, S9 fractions, homogenates and microsomes.

• All human subcellular fractions products are delivered with a Certificate of Analysis showing information on the patient such as age, sex, ethnicity, etc. 
• All human samples are tested HBV, HBC, HIV-1 and HIV-2 negative.
• All animal products are delivered with a Certificate of Analysis giving information on the animal(s) specie, strain, age, sex, age, weight, identification number, etc.

Subcellular fraction isolation procedure

1. Homogenisation of tissue
2. Sonication
3. Centrifugation
4. 2^nd Centrifugation
5. Pellet recovery in special medium
6. Storage at -80°C
7. Controls

Fraction production process

Biopredic International provides supplements and basal medium that are recommended for fibroblasts. Biopredic International offers a specific medium for the culture, thawing and preservation of skin tissues. 

Skin long term culture
The skin long-term culture medium has been developed specifically to maintain the survival of human skin explants for 6 days. This product is a sterile, liquid tissue culture medium. The specific composition of this product is more appropriate than the skin long term culture media used for UV irradiation experiments and other stress assays. This medium allows the preservation of dermal and epidermal cell populations in normal metabolic conditions for 6 days. This medium is ready-to-use and is intended to maintain survival of human skin for research purposes. It is designed for use in a 5% CO2 / 95% air incubator.

Fig. 1: Standard medium - Epidermis cell integrity is not conserved.
Fig. 2 (right): Epidermis and dermis cell integrities are well conserved.