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Tai-Lan Tuan

David T Cheung

Frederick L Hall

Marcel E Nimni

Lingtau Wu

An artificial skin is prepared by impregnating a collagen matrix with a transforming growth factor-.beta. having a collagen-binding site to bind the growth factor to the collagen matrix, incubating the impregnated matrix with a source of fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells to form a captured population of mesenchymal stem cells within the impregnated matrix and incubating the resultant matrix with a source of keratinocytes which epithelialize the matrix to form an artificial skin. The collagen matrix is preferably in the form of a collagen sheet. The transforming growth factor-.beta. can be transforming growth factor-.beta..sub.1, transforming growth factor-.beta..sub.2 or transforming growth factor-.beta..sub.3. Preferably, the transforming growth factor-.beta. having a collagen binding site is a fusion protein having a purification tag, at least one proteinase site, an extracellular matrix binding site and a transforming growth factor active fragment. The extracellular matrix binding site binds collagen, fibronectin or a cell surface. A method of preparing the fusion protein involves purifying and renaturing transforming growth factor-.beta. protein to provide an active fusion protein.

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Anaheim, CA, United States of America

Tai-Lan Tuan