Hypothermic Maintenance of Synthetic Epidermis

We will test and develop a cold-storage solution, Hypothermosol, for the purpose of transportingand storing synthetic human epidermis. Specific Aim 1 is designed to collect data to convince cosmeticand pharmaceutical industries, contract laboratories, and the US military that storing synthetic humanepidermis in Hypothermosol can be accomplished without compromising viability, differentiationcharacteristics, replicative capacities, or water impermeability features. This will be accomplished usingthe Fluorescent multiple Endpoint Assay, light and electron microscopy, and radioactive labeling with3H20 and 3H-thymidine. Specific Aim 2 will be dedicated to modifying the current formulation ofhypothermosol to improve its capability as a cold-storage solution for human epidermis. We will use thecommercially-available human epidermis, EpiDerm, for all studies because (1) preliminary data havealready been established with this skin facsimile, (2) data indicate the viability of EpiDerm can not bepreserved by cold storing this tissue in conventional Skin Culture Medium and (3) this skin model is nowbeing distributed to international markets thus necessitating the development of a shipping/storingsolution. Phase II of this grant will concentrate on the development of tissue-specific cold-storagesolutions for the shipping and storage of human tissue slices for in vitro toxicology.