Artificial Human Skin Created Using Tissue Engineering

A new study describes the development of artificial human skin with biomechanical properties, based on an agarose-fibrin biomaterial.

Researchers at the University of Granada (UGR; Spain) first obtained human skin samples from biopsies of patients who underwent plastic surgery at the University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves (Granada, Spain). To create the artificial human skin, tranexamic acid (to prevent fibrinolysis), calcium chloride (to precipitate fibrin coagulation), and 0.1% agarose was added to human fibrin from plasma of healthy donors. The artificial-skin substitutes were then grafted on the back of the nude mice, with the purpose of observing its optimal development, maturation, and functionality in vivo. To do so, the researchers analyzed the samples by transmission and scanning light, electron microscopy, and inmunofluorescence to evaluate factors such as cell proliferation, the presence of differentiating morphological markers, the expression of cytokeratin, involucrine, filaggrin, and angiogenesis of the artificial skin into the recipient organism.

The researchers found that the artificial human skin created in the laboratory showed adequate biocompatibility rates with the recipient, and no rejection, dehiscence, or infection was registered. Additionally, the skin of all animals used in the study started to show granulation after six days from implantation. Within the following twenty days, cicatrization was complete. Details on the research were released by the department of histology at UGR on April 20, 2010.

"These biomaterials added resistance, firmness, and elasticity to the skin. Definitively, we have created a more stable skin with similar functionality to normal human skin,” said lead author José María Jiménez Rodríguez, of the tissular engineering research group at UGR. ”This pioneering finding will allow the clinical use of human skin and its use in many laboratory tests on biological tissues. Further, this finding could be useful in developing new treatment approaches for dermatological pathologies.”

Related Links:
University of Granada
University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves