Hypoxic conditioned culture medium from fibroblasts grown under embryonic-like conditions supports healing following post-laser resurfacing.

OBJECTIVES: Treatment of facial skin perturbed by laser resurfacing with a novel, topical hypoxic conditioned culture medium (HCCM) product results in apparent, accelerated wound recovery time. The HCCM product is conditioned by neonatal fibroblasts under hypoxic conditions and used as the active ingredient in a formulated topical lotion. The HCCM contains significant quantities of growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor, keratinocyte growth factor, and interleukin-8. As these molecules are known to play an important role in normal wound healing in vivo, we conducted a pilot clinical evaluation "Proof of Concept" in which individuals, after receiving laser resurfacing, were instructed to use either active or placebo lotion on their abraded skin. METHODS: The end points used were clinical assessment of the time to complete healing, clinical and bioinstrumental mexameter measurements of erythema, and the number of days of rescue petrolatum use by patients, post-laser. RESULTS: Day 7, post-laser treatment, resulted in a greater improvement in erythema, and re-epithelization of the peri-oral and peri-ocular regions in subjects using the active lotion vs. placebo control as determined by blinded, clinical evaluation of gross photographs and bioinstrumental mexameter measurements. A statistically significant reduction in rescue petrolatum use in active lotion-treated subjects was reported. Finally, no attendant cutaneous safety concerns (e.g., irritant/allergic dermatitis) were reported with either active or placebo lotion. CONCLUSIONS: This HCCM product may have broad applications within the field of skin wound repair.