Key points from article :
Scientists 3D-printed living skin directly onto wounds in rats, potentially reducing scars.
It involves printing multiple layers of skin, including the one that helps hair grow.
Researchers used stem cells and supportive structures from fat tissue to create a bioink.
The bioink was printed directly into the wound site to create the dermis and hypodermis.
The outer layer of skin (epidermis) then formed naturally over the printed layers.
Early signs of hair follicle development were observed in the printed hypodermis.
"A step closer to achieve more natural-looking and aesthetically pleasing head and face reconstruction in humans,” - Ibrahim Ozbolat, the study’s corresponding author.
“We believe this could be applied in dermatology, hair transplants, and plastic and reconstructive surgeries."
Study by Pennsylvania State University, published in Bioactive Materials.
