Scientists may have made a new discovery that will be of great benefit in the field of wound healing. A team has managed to create bioprinted skin that is closer to natural skin than ever before. In experiments with mice and pigs, researchers found that this new invention could speed up wound healing, leaving the skin with less scarring than normal. It may be possible that this technology could one day help people fully recover from severe burns.
Our skin actually has a much more complex structure than it seems. There are three large layers of skin, each with its own unique anatomy. When we experience sufficiently severe wounds or skin conditions, our normal healing ability is often not sufficient to completely restore the appearance and functioning of the skin. Temporary and permanent skin grafts (transplanting undamaged skin from another location to the wound site) have allowed people to recover from previously fatal wounds, but while these can be lifesaving, they often don’t exactly match the skin’s natural appearance.
Ideally, it would be possible to treat these injuries by promoting complete regeneration of damaged skin. Researchers at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine believe they can achieve this goal by turning to bioprinting technology, which uses 3D printing techniques to create more natural tissue-like structures. In their new research published in Science Translational Medicine, they detail the development of their unique bioprinted skin.
Lifelike skin with bioprinting
Bioprinting uses a combination of living cells, nutrients, and other biological materials to replicate tissue. In this case, the team was able to create bioprinted skin using all six major skin cell types, as well as special hydrogels that act as bioinks. For the first time in the world, the researchers said, their mixture resembled full-thickness human skin, containing three layers of skin.
They then tested the skin on injured mice and pigs. In animal experiments, bioprinted skin successfully stimulated the rapid growth of new blood vessels and healthier-looking tissue than usually seen in grafts, ultimately helping the wound heal better and leading to less scarring.
“Comprehensive skin healing is a significant clinical challenge that affects millions of people worldwide with limited options,” said co-lead author Anthony Atala, director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. “These results show that it is possible and faster to bioengineer full-thickness human skin.” It shows that it supports healing and more natural-looking results.”
Laboratory and animal testing are only the first steps in showing that a potential treatment or drug works as intended. Therefore, further research, including human clinical trials, will be required before this technology can be made generally available. But the authors believe a version of this skin could one day allow people to fully recover from devastating burns and other skin injuries.