Question: How is artificial skin prepared

Jacinta Nzilani answered on 22 Jul 2025:

Hey,

Artificial skin is a lab-grown material designed to replace damaged skin, especially in patients with burns, ulcers, or wounds. It mimics natural skin in structure and function.

🧪🔬 Steps in Artificial Skin Preparation:

Cell Collection
🔹 Skin cells are collected from a donor or the patient (usually keratinocytes and fibroblasts).
🔹 These are the main cells found in the epidermis and dermis.

Cell Culture
🔹 The cells are grown in sterile tissue culture flasks using special nutrient-rich media (e.g., DMEM, FBS).
🔹 They’re allowed to multiply and form layers.

Scaffold Formation
🔹 A biocompatible scaffold (like collagen, chitosan, or silicone) is made to act like a framework.
🔹 It mimics the extracellular matrix, supporting cell growth and structure.

Layering Cells
🔹 Fibroblasts are seeded into the scaffold to form the dermal layer.
🔹 Then, keratinocytes are layered on top to form the epidermis.

Maturation in Incubator
🔹 The construct is placed in a CO₂ incubator at 37°C for several days to allow the skin layers to form and bond.

Sterilization & Testing
🔹 The artificial skin is checked for contamination, structure, and functionality before being used clinically.

✅ Used In:
Burn care

Diabetic wound healing

Cosmetic testing

Research models