Scientists have created a living equivalent of human skin

Yaroslav Agafonnikov, RIA AMI

Scientists of the Institute of Developmental Biology named after Koltsova developed a unique technology for growing skin and its living tissue equivalent. The design increases the area of the skin taken from the donor or from the burned patient himself, which grows 1000 times in a few weeks. This allows you to cover any burn surfaces, which will make the treatment of burns of 90-95% of the skin surface a solvable problem. This was told by the director of the Institute Andrey Vasiliev at the presentation of a new innovative product, which took place in Moscow.

The living equivalent of the skin, he explained, is a universal transplant, and can be used to treat various types of diseases, in particular to repair corneal damage, restore the urethra, restore the larynx and even to treat periodontal disease.

Speaking about the relevance of this development, Vasiliev recalled that third and fourth degree burns on the surface of more than 30% of the body pose a real threat to the life of the victim. In our country, about 400 thousand people receive burns annually, of which 3.5 thousand die and more than 100 thousand people are in hospitals, having a high probability of subsequent disability. In addition, trophic ulcers are becoming widespread, as a consequence of the growth of diabetes mellitus. The use of innovative development will not only dramatically increase the number of lives saved, but also significantly reduce the recovery process of patients previously considered hopeless.

One of these cases was presented by the director of the FMBA, Vladimir Uiba, last year. A worker who received burns that occupied 85% of the body surface, that is, injuries incompatible with life, thanks to the new development, not only survived, but restored the work of all organs and got rid of lesions almost without traces. At the moment, Vasiliev continued, the development is fully ready for clinical use – it remains only to create a legislative framework for the introduction of the product into practice.

Deputy Minister of Health of the Russian Federation Sergey Kraevoy, who was present at the presentation, recalled that Federal Law No. 180 "On Biomedical Cell Technologies" comes into force on January 1, 2017. "For the first time, biomedicine in Russia is beginning to develop in the legal field, which is a new step in the development of modern methods of treating severe traumatic lesions," said Kraevoy. He recalled that within the framework of the law, the concept of "cell line" is introduced for the first time, requirements for the donor of biological material are introduced for the first time, the prohibition of the use of human fetal embryonic cells is prescribed for the first time. According to the Deputy Minister, this will allow to standardize the procedure for selecting a donor, create a legal basis for taking biomaterial and put into effect the rules of good practice for the production of cell lines, as well as for the turnover of products – from production to disposal.

New breakthrough technologies, Andrey Vasiliev added, which emerged during the development of artificial skin, allow us to create a new infrastructure – a bank of cellular products, in case of emergencies and to ensure ongoing clinical activities. The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the National Technological Initiative supported a project to create a system of biomedical cell transplant banks in the country, which will be prepared in advance for temporary closure of the wound surface and subsequent treatment. "Currently, in order for the technology to enter clinical practice, it is necessary to create pilot plants, conduct preclinical and clinical studies, and we are ready for this path," Vasiliev concluded.

As Sergey Kraevoy clarified, the need for a legal framework for developments in the field of cellular technologies appeared many years ago, since the work related to these technologies has a history dating back decades. Currently, a lot of experience has been accumulated in various departments, and products ready for registration have been created, he said. In accordance with the new law, the registration procedure will take about 100 days, and its main task is to give approval to those products that will be effective and safe, According to the Ministry of Health, various research institutes have already prepared about 30-40 innovative products ready for registration and further use in the treatment of Russian patients.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  09.01.2017