UK team develops printing technique for deep wound repair

Chronic wounds are deep and difficult to repair. Often, the top of the injury heals before the bottom, so the wound collapses in on itself which, over time, can result in scar tissue and reduced skin function.

Whilst researchers around the world have explored a number of methods for printing skin, the new technique is said to be the first of its kind to simulate three layers of skin: the hypodermis, the dermis, and the epidermis.

"You effectively have three different cell types. They all grow at different speeds," said University of Huddersfield’s Professor Alan Smith. "If you try to produce tri-layered structures, it can be very difficult to provide each of the requirements of each different layer."

To solve this problem, the team used a process called suspended layer additive manufacturing (SLAM) to create a gel-like material to support the skin equivalent, twisting and altering the structure of the gel as it formed to create a bed of particles that can then support a second phase of gel injection.