Human neonatal dermal fibroblasts are isolated from newborn foreskins (surgically discarded after circumcision). A single donor foreskin provides sufficient cells to produce 250,000 square feet of complete Dermagraft tissue. A closed bioreactor system is utilized for the manufacture of Dermagraft.
Human neonatal dermal fibroblasts are cultured in vitro. At passage 8, they are placed on a bioabsorbable mesh. As they proliferate across the mesh, they secrete human dermal collagen, matrix proteins, growth factors, and cytokines to create a three-dimensional human dermal substitute containing metabolically active, living cells.