{"id":13373,"date":"2017-01-25T03:45:28","date_gmt":"2017-01-25T03:45:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kurzweilai.net\/?p=292512"},"modified":"2017-01-26T06:46:53","modified_gmt":"2017-01-26T06:46:53","slug":"a-3d-bioprinter-that-prints-fully-functional-human-skin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoo.central12.com\/fugic\/2017\/01\/25\/a-3d-bioprinter-that-prints-fully-functional-human-skin\/","title":{"rendered":"A 3D bioprinter that prints fully functional human skin"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Skin-producing bioprinter (credit: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)<\/p><\/div>\n

A prototype 3D bioprinter that can create totally functional human skin has been developed by scientists from\u00a0Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M)<\/a> and BioDan Group<\/a> in Spain. The skin has been used to treat burns as well as traumatic and surgical wounds in a large number of patients in Spain, according to the scientists.<\/p>\n

The system provides two processes.<\/p>\n

Autologous <\/a>skin<\/strong> (from the patient\u2019s own cells to generate human collagen) for therapeutic use, such as in the treatment of severe burns, instead of the animal collagen used in other methods.\u00a0 The researchers have applied for approval by various European regulatory agencies to guarantee that the skin that is produced is adequate for use in transplants on burn patients and on those with other skin problems.<\/p>\n

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3D skin bioprinter in operation (credit: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)<\/p><\/div>\n

The 3D-printed skin replicates human bilayered skin, using “bioinks” (biological components) containing human plasma as well as primary human fibroblasts and keratinocytes obtained from skin biopsies. These are controlled by a computer, which deposits them on a print bed in an orderly manner to then produce the skin.<\/p>\n

The researchers were able to generate 100 cm2<\/sup> of printed skin in less than 35 minutes (including the 30 min required for fibrin gelation).<\/p>\n

Allogeneic<\/a> skin<\/strong> (from a stock of cells), done on a large scale for industrial processes. This skin can be used to test pharmaceutical products, cosmetics, and consumer chemical products where current regulations require testing that does not use animals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis method of bioprinting allows skin to be generated in a standardized, automated way, and the process is less expensive than manual production,\u201d says Alfredo Brisac, CEO of BioDan Group, the Spanish bioengineering firm specializing in regenerative medicine that is collaborating on this research and commercializing this technology.<\/p>\n

The research was published online in the journal Biofabrication<\/em>.<\/p>\n