Skin equivalents: skin from reconstructions as models to study skin development and diseases

Abstract

While skin is readily available for sampling and direct studies of its constituents, an important intermediate step is to design in vitro and/or in vivo models to address scientific or medical questions in dermatology and skin biology. Pioneered more than 30 years ago, human skin equivalents (HSEs) have been refined with better cell culture techniques and media, together with sophisticated cell biology tools including genetic engineering and cell reprogramming. HSEs mimic key elements of human skin biology and have been instrumental in demonstrating the importance of cell-cell interactions in skin homeostasis and the role of a complex cellular microenvironment to coordinate epidermal proliferation, differentiation and pigmentation. HSEs have a wide field of applications from cell biology to dermocosmetics, modelling diseases, drug development, skin ageing, pathophysiology and regenerative medicine. In this article we critically review the major current approaches used to reconstruct organotypic skin models and their application with a particular emphasis on skin biology and pathophysiology of skin disorders.