Vat-grown human organs. It sounds like something from TNT's MonsterVision, but it's now a commercial reality. In April 1997, Apligraf became the first manufactured human organ approved, in Canada, for commercial sale. Produced by Organogenesis of Canton, Massachusetts, the human-skin equivalent is currently awaiting FDA approval in the US.
Seeded by cells from infant foreskins, Apligraf is grown in what have been dubbed skin factories. "The cells from a single foreskin can produce 200,000 units of manufactured skin," says Carol Hausner, a spokesperson for Organogenesis. That’s enough skin to cover about 250 people. The process begins by introducing human foreskin cells to a solution of bovine collagen. In about 30 days, with minimal intervention, the cells organize themselves and form a two-layer upper and lower dermis, just like our own skin. "We provide the supportive environment; they do what they're designed to do," says Hausner.
Applications for skin equivalent include treatment of such common clinical conditions as chronic wounds from ulcers, severe burns, and skin surgery. Manufactured skin is on the forefront of a revolution brewing in medicine called tissue engineering. Other forms of engineered parts bubbling away in medical labs include connective tissue, blood vessels, organic liver-assist devices, and heart valves. "People think I'm joking when I say we grow human skin, until I whip out a dish of it from my briefcase," chuckles Hausner. "Skin's a fun tissue to work with."
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