The research team that made the achievement at the UQ’s Frazer Institute were researchers Dr Abbas Shafiee and Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani both from Iran who used stem cells to create a replica of human skin that included blood vessels, capillaries, hair follicles, multiple layers of tissue, and immune cells, the UQ webiste said.
The researchers used stem cells to grow skin complete with blood vessels, capillaries, hair follicles, nerves, tissue layers and immune cells.
It is the only skin model anywhere in the world with its own blood supply.
It will lead to great improvements in the treatment of inflammatory skin disease, burns and other injuries requiring skin grafts.
“This is the most life-like skin model that’s been developed anywhere in the world and will allow us to study diseases and test treatments more accurately,” Dr Shafiee said.
“Until now, scientists have been limited in how we study skin diseases and develop new therapies."
“But with a skin model like this, that closely mimics real human skin, we will be able to study diseases more closely, test treatments and develop new therapies more effectively,” he added.
Dr Shafiee, who conducted the study in collaboration with Metro North Health, said recent advancements in stem cell research allowed them to create 3-dimensional skin lab models.
Moreover, Professor Kiarash Khosrotehrani said the engineered skin would help improve skin graft transplants and treatments for inflammatory skin disorders such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, scleroderma and other genetic diseases.
MNA