Researchers at Penn State University in the US have successfully used 3D bioprinting to add layers of skin to injuries during an operation to aid recovery. The feat was achieved in an animal model but could also be very beneficial when used in humans.
“Reconstructive surgery to correct trauma to the face or head from injury or disease is usually imperfect, resulting in scarring or permanent hair loss,” said Ibrahim T. Ozbolat, a professor of biomedical engineering and neurosurgery at Penn State University, who led the work. This can often result in aesthetically unpleasant reconstruction with no recourse available to patients.
3D bioprinting is a relatively new technology that allows living cells to create tissues and organs by printing them with suitable ink. The applications of this technology are varied. Although the tech is being used in trials and experiments today, research studies at Penn State show that the technology is rapidly approaching maturity.
Components of 3D bioprinted skin
The research team began with adipose tissue, commonly known as fat since it is an important extracellular matrix component. These proteins and molecules outside the cell are responsible for providing structure and stability to the tissue. This was the first component of ink used for printing the skin.
Working with Dino Ravnic, an associate professor of surgery at Penn State College of Medicine, the team also sourced stem cells from this adipose tissue. Capable of developing into different cell types based on their environmental conditions, stem cells were the second component of the bio-ink used in the process.
The third and last component of the ink was a clotting solution, whose role was to help components bind together to form tissue at the injured site.
A world first
Previous attempts at 3D bioprinting skin have involved printing thin layers of skin; Ozbolat and the team made a major stride by printing multiple layers of skin and doing so during surgery.
An infographic showing different layers of the human skin and its components. Image credit: Flash Vector/ iStock
Using the three components of the bio-ink, the researchers first printed the bottom-most layer of the skin or hypodermis, which is made up of connective tissue and fat. “We printed directly into the injury site with the target of forming the hypodermis, which helps with wound healing, hair follicle generation, temperature regulation, and more,” said Ozbolat in a press release.
The researchers could also print the dermis layer, which rests above the hypodermis. The topmost layer, called the epidermis, the visible part of the skin, did not require 3D bioprinting but formed by itself in two weeks.
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The team also found that the hypodermis contained down growths, the early-stage hair follicles, and the role of fat cells in their regulation and maintenance. Further research could help grow back hair in trauma sites and improve natural resemblance following reconstructive surgery.
“With the fully automated bioprinting ability and compatible materials at the clinical grade, this technology may have a significant impact on the clinical translation of precisely reconstructed skin,” Ozbolat added.
Ameya Paleja Ameya is a science writer based in Hyderabad, India. A Molecular Biologist at heart, he traded the micropipette to write about science during the pandemic and does not want to go back. He likes to write about genetics, microbes, technology, and public policy.
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