A team of researchers from Canada has successfully tested a new portable 3D printer. This could be severeTreat burns, by printing new skin cells directly onto a wound. Although the new project is in early stages of development, it may potentially provide a way to treat patients whose injuries are too extensive to allow for skin grafts.
3D printer replaces skin transplant surgery
The lead author, Professor Axel Günther from the University of Toronto, commented on this. “Skin grafts, in which the damaged tissue is removed and replaced with skin from another area of the patient's body, are a standard treatment for severe burns. In cases where a patient has extensive, full-thickness burns that destroy both the top and bottom layers of skin, there is not always enough healthy skin left to use. “
There are alternatives, such as transplants made from bovine collagen grown in a test tubeartificially produced skin substitute. But none of them are perfect for this. They rely on tissues and cells that surround a wound and heal completely. The production of skin substitutes, on the other hand, can take many weeks.” Additionally, these methods are rarely used successfully on a patient if the burn area is too large.
To overcome these challenges, the research team developed the practical hand-held device. This allows doctors to place temporary sheets directly onto wounds of any size, shape or topography. You can have a biological onePrinter ink for 3D printinguse fibrin-based. It is a protein involved in blood clotting and is infused with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These support the growth of local cells and the body's immune response. The ink then comes directly from the device's soft roller onto the wound.
Medical perspectives
“The wound surfaces we designed for this device are neither flat nor horizontal. The main advantages of the 3D printer are that it could enable the uniform deposition of a layer on inclined surfaces. This was announced by the co-author, Marc Jeschke.
“In this study, we tested whether the device could do this effectively by using it to treat full-thickness burns in pigs. We found that the device deposits the layers of skin evenly, safely and reliably on the wounds. The layers stayed in place with very minimal movement.”
“Most significantly, the MSC-treated wounds healed exceptionally well with a reduction in inflammation, scarring and contraction compared to the untreated and collagen-treated wounds.”
“We are very pleased about this successful test. In addition to the excellent results, we demonstrated that the device provides a user-friendly method for the safe delivery of cells and biomaterial. MoreStudies“However, the signs are promising and the potential clinical applications for the device extend well beyond full-thickness burns.”
