Tuesday, January 24, 2017

How About Making Skin on a 3D Printer - Science

Skin damage comes in many forms and all with one binding characteristic that the damage usually hurts.  Researchers now have a prototype for a 3D printer which produces functional human skin.  (Science Daily:  3-D bioprinter to print human skin)


Bioprinter prototype

Credit: Image courtesy of Universidad Carlos III de Madrid - Oficina de Información Científica

- SD

There you have the Metallo Fantastico Skin-Making Machine and my first question is what will you rascals do with it.


Scientists from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), CIEMAT (Center for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research), Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, in collaboration with the firm BioDan Group, have presented a prototype for a 3D bioprinter that can create totally functional human skin. This skin is adequate for transplanting to patients or for use in research or the testing of cosmetic, chemical, and pharmaceutical products.

- SD

Frankly, I'm a tad disappointed, mates.  It's good to be able to do this and it will probably reduce the need for human and animal experimentation but we want more.  That objective is cool but we want the full sci fi.


Here's the answer we wanted, mates.  Read on.

Currently, this development is in the phase of being approved by different European regulatory agencies to guarantee that the skin that is produced is adequate for use in transplants on burn patients and those with other skin problems.  In addition, these tissues can be used to test pharmaceutical products, as well as cosmetics and consumer chemical products where current regulations require testing that does not use animals.

- SD

Transplantation to burn patients is the one we wanted to see as we know one of the scariest places in the Universe is the Shriner's Burns Institute where they try to save children who have suffered frightful burns.  The medical people who work in such places must be the all-out toughest bastards on the planets since they know they have to inflict such tremendous pain to save people from such burns but what a horror for people whose mission is to prevent pain and suffering.

I have not experienced directly or indirectly through personal relationships the actual events which take place inside the Burns Institute but likely you have seen write-ups of the agonizing suffering those kids endure as they fight to survive and the beauty part is some of them do.


This new device may help to mitigate that suffering since much of it is trying to regenerate the lost skin.  When this machine may be able to substantively assist in that regeneration it seems the overall pain of the recovery will reduce.

My brothers and sisters, rejoice for the children, huh?

I know you'll stand up for this one since probably all of us have at least some awareness of the things which happen inside the Burns Institute so I won't pander that horror; you know it already.  It appears this machine may help and there's all the sci fi I need to see just now.

Deepest respect.

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