Our laboratory studies vascular biology with a special interest in regenerative therapies and the role of lymphatics in this context, the application of this knowledge to skin tissue engineering and scar treatment. We are particularly interested in the development of new strategies to make the application of skin substitutes more successful in the clinical setting.
KEYWORDS
autologous fat grafting, lymphatics, regenerative therapies, skin graft vascularization, skin tissue engineering
The coverage of large wounds especially after a burn injury remains a challenge in plastic surgery. Despite recent success in grafting of full-thickness skin substitutes, insufficient angiogenesis resulting in necrosis is still a major problem and often results in extensive hypertrophic scarring and keloids. Autologous fat grafting has a strong potential for the treatment of chronic wounds and burns. Restoring the barrier function of skin is a life-saving crucial measure in trauma management. Clinical studies confirm the efficacy of micro- and nanofat grafting in scar regeneration and patients' satisfaction. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms by which fat remodels scar tissue also with respect to lymphatic function remain elusive. Based on the high clinical demand of patients for the treatment of scars we plan to investigate innovative strategies in an interdisciplinary and translational approach that combines in vivo and in vitro studies. Being the first unit to perform supermicrosurgery on lymphatic vessels in Switzerland, we see a strong potential to include lymphatics into research on scar formation. Based on the results of our project, pro-lymphangiogenic therapies to treat hypertrophic scars or even prevent aberrant scar formation may become a promising treatment strategy in the future.
SKINTEGRITY.CH Principal Investigators are in bold: