Progenitor Biological Bandages: An Authentic Swiss Tool for Safe Therapeutic Management of Burns, Ulcers, and Donor Site Grafts

• Alexis Laurent ;Corinne Scaletta; Murielle Michetti; Nathalie Hirt-Burri; Marjorie Flahaut; Wassim Raffoul; Anthony S. de Buys Roessingh; Lee Ann Applegate
Clinical experience gathered over two decades around therapeutic use of primary human dermal progenitor fibroblasts in burn patient populations has been at the forefront of regenerative medicine in Switzerland. Relative technical simplicity, ease of extensive serial multitiered banking, and high stability are major advantages of such cell types, assorted to ease of safety and traceability demonstration. Stringent optimization of cell source selection and standardization of biobanking protocols enables the safe and efficient harnessing of the considerable allogenic therapeutic potential yielded by primary progenitor cells. Swiss legal and regulatory requirements have led to the procurement of fetal tissues within a devised Fetal Progenitor Cell Transplantation Program in the Lausanne University Hospital. Proprietary nonenzymatic isolation of primary musculoskeletal cell types and subsequent establishment of progeny tiered cell banks under cGMP standards have enabled safe and effective management of acute and chronic cutaneous affections in various patient populations. Direct off-the-freezer seeding of viable dermal progenitor fibroblasts on a CE marked equine collagen scaffold is the current standard for delivery of the therapeutic biological materials to patients suffering from extensive and deep burns. Diversification in the clinical indications and delivery methods for these progenitor cells has produced excellent results for treatment of persistent ulcers, autograft donor site wounds, or chronic cutaneous affections such as eczema. Herein we describe the standard operating procedures for preparation and therapeutic deployment of the progenitor biological bandages within our translational musculoskeletal regenerative medicine program, as they are routinely used as adjuvants in our Burn Center to treat critically ailing patients.