INKJET PRINTERS INSPIRE

SCIENTISTS TO MAKE SKIN

TECHNICAL SEMINAR
BY:

U.SIDDHARTH
SWAYAMBHOO(07B91A04B6)
 ABSTRACT
Ink-jet printing technology has inspired scientists to look for ways to build
sheets of skin that could one day be used for grafts in burn victims, experts.
One technique involves a portable bioprinter that could be
carried to wounded soldiers on the battlefield where it would scan the injury,
take cells from the patient and print a section of compatible skin. Another
uses a three-dimensional printer combining donor cells, biofriendly gel and
other materials to build cartilage.
The technology works in part via a scanner that takes a
measure of the affected area and identifies the depth and extent of the injury,
informing the bioprinter of how many layers of cells need to be made.
 HUMAN SKIN

 Skin is a soft outer covering of an animal, in particular a vertebrate.

  In mammals, the skin is the largest organ of the integumentary
system made up of multiple layers of ectodermal tissue, and guards the
underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and internal organs.
 Because it interfaces with the environment, skin plays a key role in
protecting (the body) against pathogens and excessive water loss.  Its
other functions are insulation, temperature regulation, sensation, and
the protection of vitamin D folates. Severely damaged skin will try to
heal by forming scar tissue. This is often discoloured and depigmented.
 Mammalian skin is composed of two primary layers:
the epidermis, which provides waterproofing and serves as a barrier
to infection;
the dermis, which serves as a location for the appendages of skin.
Epidermis: "epi" coming from the Greek meaning "over" or "upon", is
the outermost layer of the skin. It forms the waterproof, protective
wrap over the body's surface and is made up
of stratified squamous epithelium with an underlying basal lamina.
 
DERMIS : the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists
of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain.
The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement
membrane.
 ARTIFICIAL SKIN

 Artificial skin can refer to skin grown in a laboratory that can be

used as skin replacement for people who have suffered skin
trauma such as severe burns or skin diseases. Alternatively, it can
also refer to skin synthetically produced for other purposes.

A cross-section through artificial skin (left) compared to section

through human skin (right). Both the natural and the artificial skin are
made up of three layers. Credit: Fraunhofer IGB
 SKIN GRAFTS
 Skin grafts were developed as a way to prevent such consequences as well
as to correct deformities. As early as the sixth century B.C. , Ayurvedic
surgeons were involved in nose reconstruction, grafting skin flaps from the
patient's nose. Gaspare Tagliacozzo, an Italian physician, brought the
technique to Western medicine in the sixteenth century.
 Until the late twentieth century, skin grafts were constructed from the
patient's own skin (autografts) or cadaver skin (allografts). Infection or, in
the case of cadaver skin, rejection were primary concerns. While skin
grafted from one part of a patient's body to another is immune to rejection,
skin grafts from a donor to a recipient are rejected more aggressively than
any other tissue graft or transplant. Although cadaver skin can provide
protection from infection and loss of fluids during a burn victim's initial
healing period, a subsequent graft of the patient's own skin is often
required. The physician is restricted to what skin the patient has available,
a decided disadvantage in the case of severe burn victims.
 PRODUCTION PROCESS

LATEST METHODS

 The technology works in part via a scanner that takes a measure of the
affected area and identifies the depth and extent of the injury, informing
the bioprinter of how many layers of cells need to be made.
 First of all, a biopsy – that is, a sample of human tissue – is checked for
sterility. A gripper arm then transports the biopsy into the automated
device where the individual steps are performed: The machine cuts the
biopsy into small pieces, isolates the different cell types, stimulates their
growth, and mixes the skin cells with collagen.
  A three-dimensional reconstruction of the different skin layers is
produced with the aid of a special gel matrix – and the skin is ready. In
the final step, the machine packages the cells for shipment. Alternatively,
the tissue can be cryopreserved – that is, deep-frozen and stored for later
use.
 CONVENTIONAL METHODS

Raw Materials
 The raw materials needed for the production of artificial skin fall into
two categories, the biological components and the necessary laboratory
equipment. The tissues or samples are taken from the person that
might be needing the skin graft in the future. These are cultured in the
lab in a mixture of cells, gel, collagen. The fibroblasts are stored in
glass vials and frozen in liquid nitrogen at -94°F (-70°C). In the
collagen method, keratinocytes are also extracted tested, and frozen.
 If the fibroblasts are to be grown on mesh scaffolding, a polymer is
created by combining molecules of lactic acid and glycolic acid, the
same elements used to make dissolving sutures. The compound
undergoes a chemical reaction resulting in a larger molecule that
consists of repeating structural units.
 In the collagen method, a small amount of bovine collagen is extracted
from the extensor tendon of young calves. The collagen is mixed with an
acidic nutrient, and stored in a refrigerator at 39.2°F (4°C).
 Laboratory equipment includes glass vials, tubing, roller bottles, grafting
cartridges, molds, and freezers.
 The manufacturing process is deceptively simple. Its main function is to
trick the extracted fibroblasts into believing that they are in the human
body so that they communicate with each other in the natural way to
create new skin.
Mesh scaffolding method
 1 Fibroblasts are thawed and expanded. The fibroblasts are transferred
from the vials into roller bottles, which resemble liter soda bottles. The
bottles are rotated on their sides for three to four weeks. The rolling
action allows the circulation of oxygen, essential to the growth process.
 2 Cells are transferred to a culture system. The cells are removed
from the roller bottles, combined with a nutrient-rich media, flowed
through tubes into thin, cassette-like bioreactors housing the
biodegradable mesh scaffolding, and sterilized with e-beam
radiation. As the cells flow into the cassettes, they adhere to the mesh
and begin to grow. The cells are flowed back and forth for three to
four weeks. Each day, leftover cell suspension is removed and fresh
nutrient is added. Oxygen, pH, nutrient flow, and temperature are
controlled by the culture system. As the new cells create a layer of
dermal skin, the polymer disintegrates.
 3 Growth cycle completed. When cell growth on the mesh is
completed, the tissue is rinsed with more nutrient-rich media. A
cryoprotectant is added. Cassettes are stored individually, labeled,
and frozen.
 Collagen method
 4 Cells are transferred to a culture system. A small amount of the cold collagen and
nutrient media, approximately 12% of the combined solution, is added to the
fibroblasts. The mixture is dispensed into molds and allowed to come to room
temperature. As the collagen warms, it gels, trapping the fibroblasts and generating
the growth of new skin cells.
 5 Keratinocytes added. Two weeks after the collagen is added to the fibroblasts, the
extracted keratinocytes are thawed and seeded onto the new dermal skin. They are
allowed to grow for several days and then exposed to air, inducing the keratinocytes
to form epidermal layers.
 6 Growth cycle completed. The new skin is stored in sterile containers until needed.
 The medical profession is using artificial skin technology to pioneer organ
reconstruction. It is hoped that this so-called engineered structural tissue will, for
example, someday replace plastic and metal prostheses currently used to replace
damaged joints and bones. Ears and noses will be reconstructed by seeding cartilage
cells on polymer mesh. The regeneration of breast and urethral tissues is currently
under study in the laboratory. Through this technology, it is possible that one day,
livers, kidneys, and even hearts, will be grown from human tissues.
 FUTURE APPLICATIONS
 The medical profession is using artificial skin technology to pioneer organ
reconstruction. It is hoped that this so-called engineered structural tissue
will, for example, someday replace plastic and metal prostheses currently
used to replace damaged joints and bones. Ears and noses will be
reconstructed by seeding cartilage cells on polymer mesh. The
regeneration of breast and urethral tissues is currently under study in the
laboratory. Through this technology, it is possible that one day, livers,
kidneys, and even hearts, will be grown from human tissues.
 For soldiers in need of skin grafts in battle to heal blasts induced wounds.
 For people that require first aid emergency
 The technique makes it safe, easy and efficient as printing produces thick
enough skin that can be placed on the affected area and as the source of
the skin is the donor itself there is no problem of rejection and also the
skin has correct no: of cells to make it stretchable and grow quickly.
THANK YOU