Researchers Create 3D-Printed Artificial Skin That Allows Blood Circulation

Swedish researchers have developed innovative 3D bioprinting techniques to create thick, vascularized artificial skin that could significantly improve treatment for severe burns and trauma. Traditional skin grafts transplant only the epidermis and fail to regenerate the dermis—the deeper skin layer containing blood vessels and nerves—resulting in scarring and loss of full skin function. The new methods aim to overcome this by producing skin that includes living cells and a network of blood vessels, essential for delivering oxygen and nutrients to sustain tissue viability. The team led by Johan Junker at Linköping University created a bio-ink called “μInk,” which embeds fibroblasts (cells that generate dermal components like collagen) within a gel matrix, allowing 3D printing of dense, cell-rich skin structures. In mouse transplantation experiments, these constructs supported cell growth, collagen secretion, and new blood vessel formation, indicating potential for long-term tissue integration. Complementing this, the researchers developed the REFRESH technology, which uses