3-D Printed Human Skin: A Future Possibility?

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L’Oreal USA hopes to make bioprinted human skin a reality in the near future. In a major move, the cosmetics giant teamed up with San Diego based bioprinting company Organovo, to develop what could essentially be a game changer for medical sciences as well as the consmetics industry.

3-D printing is a process of additive manufacturing. A model of the object to be printed is created on x-y-z axes on a computer. It is subsequently ‘printed’ into reality by adding successive thin layers of material one after another, built bottom up according to the digital model.

Bioprinting is this technique taken to the next level. It takes cells that have been donated by surgery patients and sold through harvesting companies, and loads them as ‘bio-ink’ which feeds into high-tech bioprinters. The bioprinters then read the digital model of the human skin, and generates successive layers of bioprinted skin using these cells. It’s the same as a traditional 3-D printer, except, you know, you’re creating human flesh.

This process is made easier by the fact that L’Oreal already grows its own skin samples under laboratory conditions, in a massive facility in France. Patented as Episkin, it is created from incubated cells given by surgery patients. The only problem with this technique is that it is slower and more expensive than the results that can be obtained through bioprinting. It would be much easier to just separate the different types of cells, load them as inks into bioprinters and voila! Instant 3-D printed skin!

It is believed that L’Oreal has taken this initiative to benefit their cosmetics testing arm. Cosmetics are usually tested on the cultured skin samples available in-house, or sometimes even on animal or human test subjects. By being able to make skin samples faster through bioprinting, the cosmetics development process can be sped up while making it more thorough at the same time. Different skin compositions can be created with ease, according to nationality, race, age or any other factors, and products can be made highly specific to each target market.

The broader implications are also promising. 3-D printed skin may be used as grafts in accident or burn victims, and can also be used for other medical and cosmetic purposes. This technology is definitely something that may have a big impact on all our lives in the future.

(On a side note: Imagine Ultron (from Avengers: Age of Ultron) getting a hold of this technology! A bioprinted body made of human flesh infused with Vibranium. Now that’s something that could spell trouble. Imagination going wild here.)

Read More: http://news.discovery.com/tech/biotechnology/loreal-to-begin-3d-printing-skin-150519.htm

 
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