China3D printingNet January 7th, researchers from the University of Birmingham and the University of Huddersfield in the UK have developed a new 3D bioprinting technology that can be used to treat chronic wounds.
This method, called Suspended Layer Additive Manufacturing (SLAM), can print a new type of biological material that accurately mimics the structure of mammalian skin.
In fact, according to the researchers, this biomaterial is the first of its kind to simulate all three main layers found in skin-subcutaneous tissue, dermis, and epidermis-making it a unique three-layer skin equivalent. Early experiments have shown that 3D bioprinted skin can be placed on the wound site to promote healing and reduce scar tissue in the process.
Suspended Layer Additive Manufacturing (SLAM). The picture comes from the University of Birmingham.
Skin-three layers deep
Although our skin is very good at healing superficial wounds, deeper chronic wounds are usually more difficult to repair. This is because our skin is actually composed of three different layers, and the top layer tends to heal faster than the bottom layer, causing deeper wounds to sometimes collapse on their own. The result is a reduction in scar tissue and normal skin function.
For some time, medical researchers have been trying to develop accurate skin substitutes, but the British team confirmed that none of these skin models can simulate the chemical and mechanical properties of real things. problem? It has proved difficult to imitate the three-layer structure because the characteristics of each layer are quite different.
“You actually have three different cell types. They all grow at different rates,” explained Alan Smith, a co-author of the study. “If you try to produce a three-layer structure, it will be difficult to meet every requirement of each different layer.”
Subcutaneous tissue, dermis and epidermis. The picture comes from the University of Birmingham.
Suspended layer additive manufacturing
In order to better mimic the natural structure of the skin, the researchers adopted SLAM. Bioprinting technology involves suspending layers of biomaterials in a gel where they can be arranged and stacked into strips while maintaining their shape. In the case of this study, the researchers deposited subcutaneous tissue, dermis, and epidermal cells into a support gel, and then washed the gel away, leaving only the layered skin equivalent.
To test the printed skin patch, the team then cut a hole in the pig skin sample and filled the hole with the printed skin equivalent. The entire model was cultivated for two weeks, and the researchers actually observed signs of wound repair.
Liam Grover, the co-author of the study, added: “We used a stain that allowed us to quantify the integration between the original material and the tissue. Even in a short period of time, we were able to demonstrate some integration.”
Although the team was unable to fully evaluate the efficacy of 3D printed skin substitutes because the healing process took longer than the model allowed, the preliminary results are indeed very promising. British researchers are now planning to use a more powerful model of chronic wounds for longer studies. The ultimate goal is to 3D print a three-layer skin substitute that can heal real human skin.
3D bioprinted skin equivalent (left). The picture comes from the University of Birmingham.
The field of bioprinting is a rapidly growing field with applications ranging from regenerative medicine and drug discovery to food. Just recently, the biotechnology company Prellis Biologics announced the creation of a new antibody discovery platform based on 3D bioprinting. The company’s platform is an effective immune system functioning in a petri dish, which can reconstruct the interaction and immune response between human cells, making it an ideal choice for disease treatment research and development.
Elsewhere, CTIBIOTECH, a regenerative medicine company, has recently developed a new 3D bioprinting platform that can provide personalized medicine for patients with colorectal cancer. The platform was developed in cooperation with Plovdiv Medical University and UMHAT-Eurohospital in Bulgaria, and is capable of producing cost-effective and reproducible human colon cancer disease models, and can also be used for chemotherapy screening.
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