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March 1, 2019 | By Thomas
In a major breakthrough, scientists at the Wake Forest Institute (WFIRM) have created a 3D mobile skin bioprint system that can directly print bilayer skin on a wound. The team, which published its findings in Scientific reports On February 12, he discovered that this type of treatment consisted of using a patient's own cells to "print" new skin and thus promote the healing of major wounds or burns. Better yet, it is mobile, which means it can be transported to the bedside of the patient to heal wounds.
A close-up view of the bioprinter nozzle of the skin. CREDIT: WFIRM
"The unique aspect of this technology is the mobility of the system and the ability to manage extensive wounds on site by scanning and measuring them to deposit the cells directly where they are needed to create the skin." said Sean Murphy. Ph.D., assistant professor at WFIRM and lead author of the paper.
The team reports that the main skin cells – the dermis fibroblasts and the epidermal keratinocytes – can be easily isolated from a sample of the patient's uninjured tissue. Fibroblasts are cells that synthesize the extracellular matrix and collagen that play a critical role in wound healing, while keratinocytes are the predominant cells in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin.
The new technology is really impressive. The researchers demonstrated the proof of concept of the system by printing the skin directly on preclinical models. First and foremost, the ink consisting of these cells and a hydrogel substrate is placed in the 3D bioprinter. Then, an integrated imaging technology comprising a device that analyzes the wound, introduces the data into the software to indicate to the print heads where to place the cells, layer by layer, in the wound. The team found that this system replicates and accelerates the formation of a normal skin structure and function.
A WFIRM technician operates the mobile bio-printer for skin printing on a member demo. CREDIT: WFIRM
The next step is to conduct a clinical trial in humans. While skin grafts are currently used to treat wounds and burns, adequate coverage of wounds is often a challenge, especially when the availability of healthy skin for harvest is limited. Donor skin grafts are an option, but there is always the risk that donor grafts will be rejected by the patient. And skin grafts also produce scars.
"This technology could eliminate the need for painful skin grafts that cause further disfigurement to patients with major wounds or burns," said Anthony Atala, director of WFIRM, and co-author of the paper. "A mobile bioprinter capable of managing extensive wounds locally could help accelerate the delivery of care and reduce costs for patients."
With the WFIRM 3D bioprinter system, researchers were able to see new skin form from the wound center and this only happened when the patient's own cells were used because the tissues were accepted and not rejected.
"If you deliver the patient's own cells, they will actively contribute to wound healing by organizing them so that the healing process begins more quickly," said James Yoo, MD, Ph.D. "While there are other types of wound treatment products available to treat wounds and help them close, these products do not actually contribute to the creation of skin."
Posted in 3D Printer
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Montana wrote on 03/03/2019 13:53:31:
I would love to know what they used as hydrogel. I am currently working on a project with a bioprointer and we continue to make a stalemate on this project.
fl1mflam wrote on the 03/02/2019 19:20:28:
THIS IS INCREDIBLE!
SCIENCE IS GOD!
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