Tissue viability and Langerhans cell behaviour in an ex-vivo human skin model for cutaneous DNA vaccination [Abstract]

Introduction and Objectives Epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs) present an attractive and accessible target for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccination. Excised human skin is perhaps the most representative preclinical model attainable for immunological studies involving human LCs. In terms of DNA vaccination, explant viability and artefactual LC activation in response to culture conditions are important issues to be addressed in any potential ex-vivo human skin model. This study aims to optimise such a model for ex-vivo DNA vaccination studies by ascertaining the structural and functional viabilities of human skin explants, and minimising artefactual LC activation