3D Imprinted Skin Substitutes Provide Optimism for Burn Wound Healing

In a groundbreaking development for the healthcare sector, researchers have successfully 3D bioprinted robust self-supporting structures and cell-laden constructs that could potentially revolutionise the treatment of severe burns and other skin injuries.

These 3D-printed skin grafts contain living cells and have the potential to replace both the epidermis and dermis, offering a significant improvement over traditional skin grafts. The dermis, a more complex layer of skin, is often overlooked by traditional grafts but is crucial for skin's elasticity and natural feel.

The innovation has shown promising results in lab tests on mice, with improved integration and the development of new blood vessels compared to traditional skin grafts. Skin grafts are currently the most common method used by medical professionals to treat severe epidermal loss, but traditional grafts only replace the epidermis, leading to a high chance of scarring and slower recovery times.

The 3D-printed skin grafts are made using a combination of purpose-grown cells on gelatin beads and a hyaluronic acid gel. This allows specialists to take cell samples from patients and regrow vital parts of the dermis or other skin cells more accurately.

The study, conducted by a team at Linköping University and the Center for Disaster Medicine and Traumatology in Sweden, opens the door for a deeper understanding of the dermis and its regeneration capabilities. The authors of the study have highlighted the potential of their technology for personalised medicine and improved wound healing outcomes.

Financial support for the study came from the Erling-Persson Foundation, the European Research Council, the Swedish Research Council, and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. The next steps for the 3D-printed skin grafts will include testing the technology in a porcine wound model.

The potential applications of this technology extend beyond burn treatment. The 3D-printed skin grafts could be adapted to help provide added collagen and elasticity to skin as it ages in the cosmetic surgery sector.

As we look to the future, it is expected that 3D printed skin grafts will become a common practice in the next 10-15 years, offering a significant leap forward in the treatment of skin injuries and potentially transforming the field of dermatology.

Avita Medical Inc., an advanced skin graft researcher, has already made strides in this field. They received approval to offer their RECELL System to the EU markets in 2005 and gained FDA approval in the U.S. in 2018. The RECELL System is a medical device that allows healthcare providers to quickly prepare a suspension of cells from a small sample of a patient's own skin, which can then be sprayed onto a wound to promote faster healing.

Skin, responsible for regulating body temperature, protecting organs, and providing a surface for touch sensation, accounts for approximately 15% of the human body's total weight. With the development of advanced technologies like 3D-printed skin grafts, the future of skin care and wound healing looks promising.