Improved skin regeneration with acellular fish skin grafts
Gabriella Fiakos, Zeming Kuang, Evan Lo
Abstract
Fish skin graft, a novel skin substitute, has seen a widespread clinical application since the approval for wound coverage by the FDA. Due to its properties in promoting wound healing and its efficient cost in manufacturing, fish skin grafts are a potential alternative to allograft and xenograft sources including, but not limited to cadaver and porcine grafts in a variety of applications. Additionally, fish skin grafts show promising results in treating diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), venous leg ulcers (VLUs) and some evidence worthy of further exploration in treating a host of other acute and chronic wounds. Here we summarize the material and biological properties of fish skin grafts. How this graft compares to other prevailing skin substitutes on the market for different wound types was also explored. Fish skin grafts have many uses in clinical applications of the future.