Skin Bioprinting
Smart bioprinter will print new skin from the patient's cells
Sergey Kolenov, Hi-tech+
The device will replace unsafe grafts, and burns and chronic wounds will heal much faster and without scarring.
For the treatment of large wounds and burns, skin grafts are most often used. However, the patient may not have enough healthy skin for transplantation, and the donor skin is often rejected or leads to scarring.
Researchers from the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University have proposed an alternative solution. According to a press release from Wake Forest School of Medicine Mobile Bedside Bioprinter Can Heal Wounds, the team has created a bioprinter that applies skin cells directly to the wound.
A drawing from the article by Albanna et al. In Situ Bioprinting of Autologous skin Cells Accelerates Wound Healing of extensive excisional Full-thickness Wounds, published in the journal Scientific Reports – VM.
The device uses two main types of skin cells – fibroblasts and keratinocytes. They are easy to isolate with a small biopsy and multiply in sufficient quantities. The resulting cells are mixed with a hydrogel and loaded into a bioprinter.
With the help of image processing technology, the device scans the wound and transmits a signal to the print heads which cells to apply to a specific area and in what quantity.
Such printing accelerates the restoration of the normal structure and functions of the skin. And using the patient's own cells eliminates the risk of rejection.
Preclinical tests have confirmed the effectiveness of the technique. Now it is necessary to repeat this success in experiments with people. If the technique works, doctors will receive a mobile bioprinter, the use of which will make the treatment of burns and wounds faster, more effective and safer.
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