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Dear Editor, Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) is a rare congenital malformation characterized by the focal absence of skin visible at birth, most frequently involving the scalp, although any part of the body may be affected. The estimated incidence is approximately 1 to 3 per 10,000 live births. The pathogenesis is heterogeneous and yet not fully understood. [...]

Acellular skin as a scaffold has a good potential to regenerate or repair damaged tissues. Growth factors such as Plasma Rich in Growth Factor (PRGF) as a rich source of active proteins can accelerate tissue regeneration. In this study, an acellular scaffold derived from fish skin with growth factors was used to repair full‐thickness skin defects in a rat model. Cellular results demonstrated that epithelial cells adhere well to acellular scaffolds. The results of animal studies showed that the groups treated with acellular scaffold and growth factor have a high ability to close and heal wounds on the 28th day after surgery. Histological and staining results showed that in the treated groups with scaffold and growth factor, an epidermal layer was formed with some skin appendages similar to normal skin. Overall, such scaffolds with biological agents can cause an acceptable synergistic effect on skin regeneration and wound healing.

Trauma, burns, and diabetes result in nonhealing wounds that can cause bone or tendon exposure, a significant health threat. The use of an artificial regeneration template combined with skin grafting as an alternative method to highly invasive flap surgery has been shown to be an effective way to cover full‐thickness skin defects with bone or tendon exposure for both functional and aesthetic recovery. However, artificial regeneration templates, such as Pelnac, are overwhelmingly expensive, limiting their clinical use. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that polyurethane film combined with absorbable gelatine sponge, affordable materials widely used for haemostasis, are effective for dermal reconstruction in wounds with bone or tendon exposure. The absorbable gelatine sponge combined with polyurethane film was applied to eight patients, all resulting in adequate granulation that fully covered the exposed bone or tendon. The outcome of absorbable gelatine sponge combined with polyurethane film application indicates that this approach is a potential novel and cost‐effective dermal reconstruction strategy for the treatment of severe wounds with bone or tendon exposure.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a highly dynamic and heterogeneous structure that plays multiple roles in living organisms. Its integrity and homeostasis are crucial for normal tissue development and organ physiology. Loss or alteration of ECM components turns towards a disease outcome. In this review, we provide a general overview of ECM components with a special focus on collagens, the most abundant and diverse ECM molecules. We discuss the different functions of the ECM including its impact on cell proliferation, migration and differentiation by highlighting the relevance of the bidirectional cross-talk between the matrix and surrounding cells. By systematically reviewing all the hereditary disorders associated to altered collagen structure or resulting in excessive collagen degradation, we point to the functional relevance of the collagen and therefore of the ECM elements for human health. Moreover, the large overlapping spectrum of clinical features of the collagen-related disorders makes in some cases the patient clinical diagnosis very difficult. A better understanding of ECM complexity and molecular mechanisms regulating the expression and functions of the various ECM elements will be fundamental to fully recognize the different clinical entities.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1722918.].

Radiotherapy induced skin defect (RISD) is a severe radiotherapy complication with persistent oxidative stress and recurrent excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), impeding normal tissue repair processes. Nevertheless, the lack of a standardized animal model severely hinders the progress of related research work. We develop a novel strategy for repairing the RISD microenvironment, which combines initial ROS clearance, subsequent inhibition of ROS production and the repair of proliferation related cell pathways/functions. As a proof of concept, a composite microneedle (MN) patch comprising γ‐polyglutamic acid as the base and ruthenium (Ru) clusters modified magnesium silicate nanosheets (MSR NSs) as the enzyme‐like component is prepared. The Ru clusters have excellent ROS scavenging ability and help activate the peroxisome proliferators activated receptor signaling pathway confirmed by the sequencing analysis while the magnesium silicate is degraded under physiological conditions to release magnesium ions and silicate ions, enhancing cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis ability. The radiation induced skin defect animal model is established to evaluate the RISD repair efficacy of our MSR@MN patch in comparison with γPGA‐MSR ointment and commercial product Orgotein. The results show that our MSR@MN patch effectively improves the pathological microenvironment of abnormal ROS accumulation, reduces inflammatory response and promotes mature angiogenesis and tissue remodeling. In this work, we introduce a novel composite microneedle (MN) patch that integrates ruthenium‐loaded magnesium silicate nanosheets (MSR) as a multifaceted therapeutic platform with oxidative stress mitigation, ROS generation inhibition and cellular signaling pathways restoration for treating RISD.

Exosomes are nano-sized cargos with a lipid bilayer structure carrying diverse biomolecules including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. These small vesicles are secreted by most types of cells to communicate with each other. Since exosomes circulate through bodily fluids, they can transfer information not only to local cells but also to remote cells. Therefore, exosomes are considered potential biomarkers for various treatments. Recently, studies have shown the efficacy of exosomes in skin defects such as aging, atopic dermatitis, and wounds. Also, exosomes are being studied to be used as ingredients in commercialized skin treatment products. In this review, we discussed the need for exosomes in skin therapy together with the current challenges. Moreover, the functional roles of exosomes in terms of skin treatment and regeneration are overviewed. Finally, we highlighted the major limitations and the future perspective in exosome engineering.

The healing of large skin defects remains a significant challenge in clinical settings. The lack of epidermal sources, such as autologous skin grafting, limits full-thickness skin defect repair and leads to excessive scar formation. Skin organoids have the potential to generate a complete skin layer, supporting in-situ skin regeneration in the defect area. In this study, skin organoid spheres, created with human keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells, showed a specific structure with a stromal core surrounded by surface keratinocytes. We selected an appropriate bioink and innovatively combined an extrusion-based bioprinting technique with dual-photo source cross-linking technology to ensure the overall mechanical properties of the 3D bioprinted skin organoid. Moreover, the 3D bioprinted skin organoid was customized to match the size and shape of the wound site, facilitating convenient implantation. When applied to full-thickness skin defects in immunodeficient mice, the 3D bioprinted human-derived skin organoid significantly accelerated wound healing through in-situ regeneration, epithelialization, vascularization, and inhibition of excessive inflammation. The combination of skin organoid and 3D bioprinting technology can overcome the limitations of current skin substitutes, offering a novel treatment strategy to address large-area skin defects. [Display omitted] •Skin organoid was created in laboratory and 3D bioprinting make it possible for skin organoid to be used in large skin defect regeneration. The 3D bioprinted human-derived skin organoids accelerated full-thickness skin defects repair in mouse model.

Different angles and central axis length combinations of the reading man flap were studied to determine the optimal angles and central axis length combinations for reducing the stress on the flap tip. First, different models and corresponding finite element models of flaps with different angles and central axial lengths were established by ANSYS software. Then, skin flap transfer was achieved through forced displacement, and the stress distributions of the flap with different angles and central axial lengths under different materials were obtained. Finally, the stress distributions of the flaps of each case were compared and analysed. The results shows: (1) The optimal angle and central axis for reducing the stress of the flap tip are 60° for the quadrangular flap, 45° for the triangular flap, with a 2 fold increase in length of the central axial relative to the diameter of the circular defects. (2) The quadrangular flap tip tends to have a greater possibility of complications than does the triangular flap tip. (3) The stress of the triangular flap tip is more sensitive to the angle and central axis length. (4) The stress of the flap tip in elderly people is greater than that in young people with the same design and position, which leads to greater possibility of complications at the flap tip in elderly patients than in young patients.

The most common association related to alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is fetal neural tube defect (NTD), and indeed, this is where the international career of this protein began. In times when ultrasonography was not yet technically advanced, the detection of high levels of AFP in maternal serum (MS-AFP) and amniotic fluid was the basis for suspecting neural tube defects. In cases where there was no confirmation of NTD, other causes were sought. It has been established that high titers of MS-AFP could originate in other defects or diseases, such as (1) increased proteinuria in severe fetal kidney diseases; (2) pathological overproduction in liver diseases; (3) penetration through the membranes of gastrointestinal organs exposed to amniotic fluid; (4) passage through the walls of skin vessels; and as a side effect of (5) hepatic hematopoiesis and increased transfer through the edematous placenta in fetal anemia. This article provides a review of the current literature on congenital defects and genetic diseases in the fetus where an elevated level of MS-AFP may serve as the initial diagnostic clue for their detection.