The present invention relates to a method of promoting skin rejuvenation in a subject. The method comprises administering to the subject an effective amount of a cellular extract of epithelial or mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells isolated from the amniotic membrane of the umbilical cord, wherein the cellular extract contains growth factors and peptides and is in the form of a supernatant into which the epithelial or mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells secrete the growth factors and peptides.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods that involve using compositions for directly reprogramming skin cells into insulin-producing cells both in vitro and in vivo. These compositions and methods are useful for a variety of purposes, including the treatment of insulin-dependent and insulin-resistant diabetes. Therefore, also disclosed is a method for treating diabetes in a subject that involves reprogramming an effective amount of skin cells in the subject into an insulin producing cell using the method disclosed herein.

A microfluidic device is contemplated comprising an open-top cavity with structural anchors on the vertical wall surfaces that serve to prevent gel shrinkage-induced delamination, a porous membrane (optionally stretchable) positioned in the middle over a microfluidic channel(s). The device is particularly suited to the growth of cells mimicking dermal layers.

The present invention relates to the technical field of model establishment, and provides a dimethylarsinous acid-induced malignantly transformed cell line of human keratinocytes and application thereof. In the present invention, human keratinocytes are persistently exposed to and incubated with a low dose of dimethylarsinous acid, to construct an inorganic arsenic metabolite dimethylarsinous acid (DMA.sup.III)-induced malignantly transformed cell model of human keratinocytes. The malignantly transformed cell model of the present invention promotes the identification of carcinogenicity of arsenic methylated metabolites, and indicates that long-term exposure to low-dose arsenic metabolite dimethylarsinous acid (DMA.sup.III) causes malignant transformation of skin cells, thus providing a new cell model basis and new research idea for the study of carcinogenic mechanism of arsenic.

A method of creating skin tissue is described, particularly, an in vitro or ex vivo method for creating skin tissue. The invention extends to the use of agents that disrupt the LINC complex in a skin cell to create the skin tissue, and to using the created tissue in an assay to identify or screen anti-ageing compounds. The invention further extends to model skin tissues per se, uses thereof and to kits for creating such model skin tissues.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a three-dimensional (3D) cell composition comprising the steps of a) forming a support matrix containing oral fibroblasts suspended within the support matrix by mixing fibrinogen, a modifier and oral fibroblasts with thrombin, b) incubating the support matrix in a cell culture media for a sufficient time to allow development of a first layer of the three-dimensional cell composition, and c) seeding oral keratinocytes on a surface of the first layer and culturing the oral keratinocytes to form a second layer of the three-dimensional cell composition. In specific embodiments of the invention, the method is exemplified for the production of an artificial gingival tissue, wherein polyethylene oxide), 4-arm, succinimidyl glutarate terminated is used as the modifier. Also disclosed are uses of the 3D cell composition which include treatment of a gum disease or condition, regenerative therapy and for in vitro testing.

The present disclosure relates to methods for culturing human epidermal keratinocytes. When keratinocytes are cultured on plates coated with a laminin containing an alpha-4 chain or an alpha-5 chain, in a xeno-free, chemically defined cell culture medium, they expand efficiently in vitro. Useful cell culture kits for culturing keratinocytes are also described herein, as are methods of using such cells for treatment of burns or chronic wounds.

The present invention relates to artificial skin having structure and properties by age, and more specifically to artificial skin having structure and properties, for which effective analysis and application are possible on the basis of age of the skin, as the human skin can be replicated according to age by simple control in the internal structure of properties such as height and width, and a method for manufacturing the same.

Disclosed herein are synthetic leathers, artificial epidermal layers, artificial dermal layers, layered structures, products produced therefrom and methods of producing the same.

A device for simulating a function of a tissue includes a first structure, a second structure, and a membrane. The first structure defines a first chamber. The first chamber includes a matrix disposed therein and an opened region. The second structure defines a second chamber. The membrane is located at an interface region between the first chamber and the second chamber. The membrane includes a first side facing toward the first chamber and a second side facing toward the second chamber. The membrane separates the first chamber from the second chamber.