Model Human skin: A Reproducible, High Throughput and Controllable Synthetic Skin Equivalent

A Novel solution for creating any type of human skin very rapidly (in a matter of minutes rather than weeks/months). The technology can produce identical tissue samples, which could find uses for testing skin products, skin grafts or even cornea generation.

The technology and its advantages

We have identified a novel solution to making tissues which overcomes the problem of creating an ECM via cell cultivation. We reverse the approach. Plastic compression (PC) fabrication of 3D biomimetic tissues enables a complete shift towards controlled engineering of bulk, fibrillar collagen materials. Fluid is rapidly removed from hyper-hydrated native collagen gels. This is performed with residual cells present, but does not rely on their contribution. The controlled nature of this process allows us to fabricate a huge diversity of micro-nano (meso-) scale biomimetic structure very rapidly. Dense laminated collagen structures can be fabricated in less than 5 minutes after collagen gelling instead of culture periods of weeks or months.

This has potential not only in producing biomimetic structure and controllable densities very rapidly but also two key and non-obvious advantages. These are the ability to generate almost unlimited 3D structural diversity and the ability to do this in a (semi-) automatic, mechanised manner. Furthermore, it will be simple to fabricate model tissues such as skin with a huge variety of compositions and 3D structures. This will allow us to accurately mimic any specific site of skin (eye-lid v’s back-skin or palm/sole). This has the potential to mimic age changes of skin/connective tissues given that it is possible to define these changes structurally.

Market opportunity

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Further information

Please contact Dr Abigail Watts
UCL Business PLC Tel +44(0)20 7679 9000 Email a.watts@uclb.com

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