Can Printed 'Skin' Heal Burns and Prevent Scars?

Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. A hand touches a scalding hot plate, sharp pain erupts and, immediately, the body gets to work. Damaged cells send out distress signals; immune cells rush in. As inflammation subsides, a coordinated repair process begins. Eventually, collagen fibers aligned in tight parallel rows will replace much of the damaged tissue. The wound heals, but it does not resemble normal skin.

For a small burn or cut, a scar is a small price to pay for rapid healing that mitigates the risk of infection. But in larger burn wounds, scarring can be devastating.

Each year, 11 million people require hospital care for burns. Long after the wounds have healed, scarring can cause complications. Unlike normal skin’s random, basket-weave pattern, which makes it flexible and resilient, scar tissue tightens as it heals and, once mature, grows more slowly than surrounding skin. This can hinder movement and, in children with extensive burns, interfere with normal growth and development. Severe scars often lack hair follicles, sweat glands and nerve endings, reducing the ability to experience touch and to regulate body temperature.