Intercytex Claims Its Artificial Skin Can Reduce Scaring
Posted on July 6, 2007
The BBC reports that a company named Intercytex believes it has created an artificial skin that may provide an alternative to skin grafts. The artificial skin can be grafted in to the damaged area of wounds or burns.
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.
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.
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.
Intercytex believes its latest version weaves into wounds much better.
The artificial skin worked very well when small oval sections of skin were cut from the arms of six healthy volunteers and the Intercytex was woven in. However, trials on more serious wounds will be needed.