Multicellular bioprinted skin substitute facilitates better severe and large skin wound treatment

Good news! Looks very promising!

"A research paper published today [10/4/2023] ... presents a significant breakthrough in the area of skin regeneration and wound healing  ...

The study ... shows the successful development of bioprinted skin that accelerate wound healing, support healthy extracellular matrix remodeling, and provide optimism for complete wound recovery. ..."

From the editor's summary and abstract:

"Editor’s summary

Full-thickness skin wounds are often treated with autologous skin grafting, but this option is limited by the volume of skin that can be harvested. Another treatment option consists of dermal skin substitutes, but results are frequently suboptimal. Here, Jorgensen and colleagues incorporated six human skin cell types into a multilayered skin construct through extrusion bioprinting. In vitro, this construct maintained a three-layer structure and matured appropriately. In mice, the construct accelerated wound healing and promoted neovascularization and extracellular matrix remodeling to reduce fibrosis and scar formation. In pigs, grafting with an autologous porcine bioprinted skin contruct led to increased epithelialization and reduced wound contraction, suggesting that bioprinted skin might be an alternative to treat human full-thickness wounds. 

Abstract

Bioprinting is a promising alternative method to generate skin substitutes because it can replicate the structural organization of the skin into biomimetic layers in vitro. In this study, six primary human skin cell types were used to bioprint a trilayer skin construct consisting of epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. Transplantation of the bioprinted skin with human cells onto full-thickness wounds of nu/nu mice promoted rapid vascularization and formation of epidermal rete ridges analogous to the native human epidermis, with a normal-looking extracellular matrix. Cell-specific staining confirmed the integration of the implanted cells into the regenerated skin. Using a similar approach, a 5 centimeter–by–5 centimeter bioprinted autologous porcine skin graft was transplanted onto full-thickness wounds in a porcine excisional wound model. The bioprinted skin graft improved epithelialization, reduced skin contraction, and supported normal collagen organization with reduced fibrosis. Differential gene expression demonstrated pro-remodeling protease activity in wounds transplanted with bioprinted autologous skin grafts. These results demonstrate that bioprinted skin can support skin regeneration to allow for nonfibrotic wound healing and suggest that the skin bioprinting technology may be applicable for human clinical use."

New wound healing research by Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine produces full thickness human bioprinted skin (secondary news source)

New Wound Healing Research By Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine Produces Full Thickness Human Bioprinted Skin (primary news source)

Multicellular bioprinted skin facilitates human-like skin architecture in vivo | Science Translational Medicine (no public access)

Researchers use cells and hydrogels as bioinks to 3D print human skin.

Direct in-muscle bioprinting can treat massive trauma injuries

Good news! Amazing stuff!

"... patients who have undergone volumetric muscle loss injuries may be interested in a novel technology ... a handheld printer to deliver hydrogel-based bioinks for treatment of such injuries. ...
The researchers developed a novel “Muscle Ink” for printing directly into large muscle-loss wounds. Within this specialized ink, vascular endothelial growth factor – key to inducing the angiogenesis and vascularization needed for muscular regeneration – is attached to 2D nanoclay discs, allowing for its continuous release over multiple weeks. The team incorporated these growth factor-bound discs into a biocompatible hydrogel that can adhere to wet tissue, such as the remaining musculature. The resulting scaffold has mechanical properties conducive to cellular regeneration and natural deformation during movement. ..."

"Extremity skeletal muscle injuries result in substantial disability. Current treatments fail to recoup muscle function, but properly designed and implemented tissue engineering and regenerative medicine techniques can overcome this challenge. In this study, a nanoengineered, growth factor‐eluting bioink that utilizes Laponite nanoclay for the controlled release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and a GelMA hydrogel for a supportive and adhesive scaffold that can be crosslinked in vivo is presented. ..."

Direct in-muscle bioprinting can treat massive trauma injuries – Physics World

Here is the link to the underlying research paper:

In Vivo Printing of Nanoenabled Scaffolds for the Treatment of Skeletal Muscle Injuries (behind paywall)