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| Artificial skin 'cuts scarring' | Artificial skin 'cuts scarring' |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A prototype artificial skin used to heal wounds has been developed by British researchers. | A prototype artificial skin used to heal wounds has been developed by British researchers. |
| Writing in the journal Regenerative Medicine, UK-based company Intercytex said it had produced promising results in early trials. | Writing in the journal Regenerative Medicine, UK-based company Intercytex said it had produced promising results in early trials. |
| It said the skin seemed to incorporate itself much better with real tissue than any other skin substitutes tried in the past. | It said the skin seemed to incorporate itself much better with real tissue than any other skin substitutes tried in the past. |
| The researchers hope it might provide an alternative to skin grafts. | The researchers hope it might provide an alternative to skin grafts. |
| Currently the best way of treating serious burns and large wounds is to take skin from part of a patient's body and graft it on to the damaged area. | Currently the best way of treating serious burns and large wounds is to take skin from part of a patient's body and graft it on to the damaged area. |
| But this is not ideal, and there have been attempts to create a form of artificial skin. | But this is not ideal, and there have been attempts to create a form of artificial skin. |
| However, some doctors say that the failure of these to fully integrate with the wound have rendered these efforts of limited value. | However, some doctors say that the failure of these to fully integrate with the wound have rendered these efforts of limited value. |
Intercytex believes its latest version weaves into wounds much better.ARTIFICIAL SKIN | Intercytex believes its latest version weaves into wounds much better.ARTIFICIAL SKIN |
| 1. ICX-SKN is produced from fibrin gel, a blood clotting protein and fibroblast cells, found in human skin. | 1. ICX-SKN is produced from fibrin gel, a blood clotting protein and fibroblast cells, found in human skin. |
| 2. The artificial skin can be cut to fit the wound and held in place with steri strips. | 2. The artificial skin can be cut to fit the wound and held in place with steri strips. |
| 3. After four weeks the dressing is removed and the wound appears to have healed with little scarring. | 3. After four weeks the dressing is removed and the wound appears to have healed with little scarring. |
| 4. A cross-section of the scar under microscope reveals little difference between the old and new skin. | 4. A cross-section of the scar under microscope reveals little difference between the old and new skin. |
| BACKNEXT1 of 5The skin is created from a matrix made up of fibrin, a protein found in healing wounds. | BACKNEXT1 of 5The skin is created from a matrix made up of fibrin, a protein found in healing wounds. |
| To this is added human fibroblasts - cells used by the body to synthesise new tissue. | To this is added human fibroblasts - cells used by the body to synthesise new tissue. |
| In a process that effectively replicates the way the body makes new skin, the cells produce and release another protein, collagen, which makes the matrix more stable. | In a process that effectively replicates the way the body makes new skin, the cells produce and release another protein, collagen, which makes the matrix more stable. |
| It is in this form that the "skin" is implanted into a wound. | It is in this form that the "skin" is implanted into a wound. |
| The researchers say that because the matrix is in a stable form, it is more able to withstand changes that take place during the healing process. | The researchers say that because the matrix is in a stable form, it is more able to withstand changes that take place during the healing process. |
| The fact that the collagen is synthesised directly by the cells themselves also more closely mirrors the natural healing process. | The fact that the collagen is synthesised directly by the cells themselves also more closely mirrors the natural healing process. |
| Quick healing | Quick healing |
| In tests researchers cut an oval section of skin from the arms of six healthy volunteers and replaced it with their lab-grown skin. | In tests researchers cut an oval section of skin from the arms of six healthy volunteers and replaced it with their lab-grown skin. |
| After 28 days the artificial skin had remained stable and the wounds had healed with relatively little scarring. | After 28 days the artificial skin had remained stable and the wounds had healed with relatively little scarring. |
| Dr Paul Kemp, Intercytex's chief scientist, said: "I was very surprised at how quickly the wounds healed. | Dr Paul Kemp, Intercytex's chief scientist, said: "I was very surprised at how quickly the wounds healed. |
| Fibroblast cells play a key role | Fibroblast cells play a key role |
| "If this continues in larger trials then it could revolutionise the way in which wounds and burns are treated in the future." | "If this continues in larger trials then it could revolutionise the way in which wounds and burns are treated in the future." |
| Dr Kemp has been working with Ken Dunn, a consultant surgeon at the burns unit at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester. | Dr Kemp has been working with Ken Dunn, a consultant surgeon at the burns unit at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester. |
| Mr Dunn said: "This particular product behaves like the patients' own skin. | Mr Dunn said: "This particular product behaves like the patients' own skin. |
| "It seems to excite much less reaction than the other materials we are using at the moment. | "It seems to excite much less reaction than the other materials we are using at the moment. |
| "If this is borne out in larger clinical trials then we would be very interested in using it with our patient group." | "If this is borne out in larger clinical trials then we would be very interested in using it with our patient group." |
| Others, however, have warned it is easy to heal a small, surgically-created wound in healthy volunteers, and that the true test will come when the technique is tried on real patients with real burns. | |
| Dr Phil Stephens, an expert in cell biology at Cardiff University, said: "Future studies are needed to establish whether this system is substantially better then those already on the market. | Dr Phil Stephens, an expert in cell biology at Cardiff University, said: "Future studies are needed to establish whether this system is substantially better then those already on the market. |
| "But this skin replacement system has the potential to dramatically reduce scarring and help heal chronic wounds in aged patients to give them a better quality of life." | "But this skin replacement system has the potential to dramatically reduce scarring and help heal chronic wounds in aged patients to give them a better quality of life." |