Human skin graft models provide an excellent tool for measuring the response of tissue over a protracted period of time, ranging from weeks, to months. Tailored to individual requirements, donor tissue can be selected for age, gender and skin type. Cell proliferation is maintained within the graft and human and host angiogenesis is observed.

Epistem provides the following models based on its success with grafting human skin:

• Angiogenesis
  Measuring the effects of therapeutic agents on human and host angiogenesis simultaneously
• Skin graft rejection model (in development)
  Measuring the ability of agents to prevent the rejection of the human skin graft by active T-cells
• Acne model (model development)
  Human skin grafts maintain their ability to produce sebum and a potential acne model can be developed
• Psoriasis (model development)
  The skin graft rejection model can also be developed to measure the ability of agents to prevent the migration and activation of invading T-cells in human skin.
• Skin toxicity
  Potential toxic compounds can be administered to the human skin graft and a range of toxicity markers can be assessed using IHC, ISH, gene expression and biochemical assays