Effective treatment of intractable skin ulcers using allogeneic cultured dermal substitutes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Skin ulcers in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients are non-healing or intractable, because various factors or complications, including vasculitis and immunosuppressants, impair wound healing. In the present study, we applied cultured dermal substitutes (CDSs) to 3 cases of SLE skin ulcers because various systemic or topical therapies were ineffective. CDSs are prepared by culturing human fibroblasts on two-layered spongy matrices of hyaluronic acid and atelo-collagen, and they effectively promote the healing of severe skin defects. After using CDSs in the 3 cases, healthy granulation tissues formed within 6 weeks, and skin grafts were successfully performed. These results indicate that allogeneic CDSs provide new therapeutic alternatives as topical therapies for intractable skin ulcers in SLE.