SCIENTISTS have developed artificial skin that can be applied like "biological clothing."
Bioengineers from Columbia University have 3D-grown artificial skin that can be transplanted directly onto the body.
The development is a breakthrough for skin grafting technology, which up until now, has only been produced in flat sheets.
While flat sheets work for transferring skin onto smooth body parts, they aren't ideal for more oddly-shaped areas, like the hands.
"Three-dimensional skin constructs that can be transplanted as 'biological clothing' would have many advantages," says lead developer Hasan Erbil Abaci, Ph.D., an assistant professor of dermatology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
"They would dramatically minimize the need for suturing, reduce the length of surgeries, and improve aesthetic outcomes."
How does it work?
The process begins with a 3D scan that's performed on the body part which requires the graft.
Once that's complete, the scan is used to create a hollow, life-size model of the part.
Next, the outside of the model is seeded with skin fibroblast cells, collagen, and keratinocyte cells.
Meanwhile, the inside is perfused with growth media that help to nourish the cells on the outside.
After the cells have grown into "skin," the 3D graft is placed over the body part for which it was made.
The researcher's process, which takes up to three weeks, is essentially the same as skin grafting, except for 3D modeling.
To test out the method, researchers constructed 3D skin for mice's body parts.
"It was like putting a pair of shorts on the mice," said Abaci. "The entire surgery took about 10 minutes."
However, because a mouse's skin biology is different from humans, the team plans to test the method on other animals.
And while more research needs to be conducted before the process can be tested on humans, the findings are promising for burn victims and others.
