Artificial Skin Artificial Skin By: Simranjit Rekhi

Functions of Skin? Skin is the largest organ in the human body Helps preserve fluid balance Controls body temperature Helps prevent and fight diseases

What is it? About Thirty years ago, burn surgeons determined that badly burned skin should be removed as quickly as possible, followed by immediate and permanent replacement of the lost skin. Doctors are able to take a postage stamp-sized piece of skin from the patient and grow the skin under special tissue culture conditions. From this small piece of skin, technicians can grow enough skin to cover nearly the entire body in just 3 weeks

Why is it Needed? When skin is damaged or lost due to severe injury or burns, bacteria and other microorganisms have easy access to warm, nutrient-rich body fluids. To treat a severe burn, surgeons first remove the burned skin and then quickly cover the underlying tissue, usually with a combination of laboratory-grown skin cells and artificial skin.

Types of Skin Replacements Integra Dermal Regeneration Template® ◦ Semi -synthetic approach to skin regeneration ◦ Researchers develop a bi-layer membrane system called the Dermal Regeneration Template ◦ The first and only FDA approved tissue engineered product for burn and reconstructive surgery ◦ Dermal replacement layer is constructed of a porous, biodegradable matrix of cross-linked bovine tendon collagen and the glycos-aminoglycan chondroitin 6-sulfate.  Allows a the wound to establish a new tissue base

Continued… ◦ Second layer acts as a temporary replacement (Epidermal ) – made from silicone polymer  Following completion of the dermal layer physicians replace the temporary epidermal with an epidermal auto-graft. Skin Graft ◦ taking cells from a non-burned epidermal layer of skin, growing them into large sheets of cells in a laboratory

How does it work? Skin replacement. Using a bilayer membrane system, scientists at Integra LifeSciences help repair skin lesions and burns. The burn surgeon drapes a sheet of Integra ® over the wounded area for 2 to 4 weeks. Allows the victim’s cells to grow a new dermis on top of matrix of the Integra ®. Then the surgeon removes the top layer of the Integra® and applies a very thin sheet of the victim’s own epithelial cells. Over time, a normal epidermis (except for the absence of hair follicles) is reconstructed from these cells.

Types of Skin Replacements Epicel skin replacement technology ◦ Introduced by Genzyme Biosurgery in ◦ Physicians isolate individual cells from a postage-stamp-sized biopsy of skin. ◦ Grow the cells for about 2 to 3 weeks and allow them to form individual sheets of tissue. ◦ Then surgeons transplant these sheets of tissue to the burnt area where these sheets fuse over time with the burnt area.

Works Cited mg0032.jpg mg0032.jpg llis1.html llis1.html ls.com/products/default.aspx?product=46#Product%20Description ls.com/products/default.aspx?product=46#Product%20Description biopsies biopsies