Human foreskin fibroblasts: from waste bag to important biomedical applications

Abstract

Circumcision is one of the most performed surgical procedures worldwide, and it is estimated that one in three men worldwide is circumcised, which makes the preputial skin removed after surgery an abundant material for possible applications. In particular, it is possible efficiently to isolate the cells of the foreskin, with fibroblasts being the most abundant cells of the dermis and the most used in biomedical research. This work aimed to review the knowledge and obtain a broad view of the main applications of human foreskin fibroblast cell culture. A literature search was conducted, including clinical trials, preclinical basic research studies, reviews and experimental studies. Several medical and laboratory applications of human foreskin fibroblast cell culture have been described, especially when it comes to the use of human foreskin fibroblasts as feeder cells for the cultivation of human embryonic stem cells, in addition to co-culture with other cell types. The culture of foreskin fibroblasts has also been used to: obtain induced pluripotent stem cells; the diagnosis of Clostridium difficile; to test the toxicity and effect of substances on normal cells, especially the toxicity of possible antineoplastic drugs; in viral culture, mainly of the human cytomegalovirus, study of the pathogenesis of other microorganisms; varied studies of cellular physiology and cellular interactions. Fibroblasts are important for cell models for varied application cultures, demonstrating how the preputial material can be reused, making possible new applications. Level of evidence: Not applicable for this multicentre audit.

Protocol for Collection, Culture, and Characterization of Human Skin Stem Cells

“…The foreskin tissue is widely used for skin cell culture. The foreskin and facial biopsy were used by Eisinger and Marko for the culture of melanocytes in vitro, as followed by several other scientific groups (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11).…”

Polyol-Made Luminescent and Superparamagnetic β-NaY0.8Eu0.2F4@γ-Fe2O3 Core-Satellites Nanoparticles for Dual Magnetic Resonance and Optical Imaging

“…Cytotoxicity assays were performed on human foreskin fibroblasts (BJH) cells. These cells are abundant and easy to manipulate for various biomedical applications [35]. They are often reported to evaluate the cytotoxicity of nanomaterials [31,[36][37][38][39][40][41], making them useful for the present study.…”

Using Human Primary Foreskin Fibroblasts to Study Cellular Damage and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

“…Human primary cultures require the isolation of a specific cell type from tissues, for instance, from tissue discarded after surgery (Oliveira et al, 2018). Digestion of preputial skin allows one to efficiently isolate the cells of the foreskin, where fibroblasts are the most abundant cells of the dermis and the ones most commonly used for biomedical research.…”

“…Circumcision is the most frequent surgical procedure worldwide and offers abundant material for different research applications (Somuncu, Tasli, Sisli, Somuncu, & Sahin, 2015). In this context, human foreskin tissue discarded after surgery represents a precious source for isolating human foreskin fibroblasts (FSK) for use in several areas of research and medicine (Oliveira et al., 2018). Fibroblasts are the most common cells of the connective tissue, and secrete collagen and other important components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), providing support to other cells, tissues, and organs in the body.…”