In Vitro Tests

 Culturing Under Hypoxic or Reduced Oxygen Conditions

While room air contains approximately 21% oxygen, the oxygen concentration at the cellular level of the skin in vivo is approximately 3%.  Standard cell culture practice involves culturing cells at the ambient oxygen concentration of 21%.  While this practice may not affect most of the work conducted in cell culture, it does not accurately represent the true environment in which a cell lives and functions.  We have cultured human dermal fibroblasts under reduced oxygen conditions (3%) and observed the following significant changes in key extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins manufactured by these cells. Culturing under reduced oxygen conditions may provide a better environment to determine the efficacy of materials designed to influence these markers.