The survival of human skin stored by refrigeration at 4 degrees C in McCoy's 5A medium: does oxygenation of the medium improve storage time?

Area of Science:

• Tissue engineering
• Cryopreservation
• Dermatology

Background:

• Establishing optimal storage conditions for human skin grafts is crucial for successful transplantation.
• Refrigeration at 4°C is a common method, but storage duration and medium composition significantly impact graft viability.

Observation:

• Eighty human split-thickness skin graft discs were stored under four conditions: saline, McCoy's 5A medium, oxygenated McCoy's 5A medium, and CO2-supplemented McCoy's 5A medium.
• Viability was assessed via tissue culture over time.
• Skin in saline survived 1 week; skin in McCoy's 5A and oxygenated McCoy's 5A survived 4 weeks; skin in CO2-supplemented medium did not survive the first week.

Findings:

• McCoy's 5A medium enables viable human skin storage for at least 4 weeks when refrigerated at 4°C.
• Oxygenating McCoy's 5A medium did not enhance storage duration.
• Carbon dioxide supplementation negatively impacted skin graft viability, rendering it non-viable within the first week.

Implications:

• McCoy's 5A medium is a suitable and effective storage solution for human skin grafts, extending viable storage time significantly compared to saline.
• This research provides valuable insights for optimizing skin banking protocols and improving graft availability for clinical use.
• Further investigation into the specific components of McCoy's 5A medium responsible for enhanced preservation could lead to even better storage solutions.