thai scientists develop artificial skin

The team has refined the prototype of artificial dermis for use in humans after testing it in animal trials, Dr Tanom Bunaprasert, an assistant professor of Chulalongkorn University's Medical School, said yesterday.

The project started three years ago to discover a new innovative material to treat deep partialthickness burn wounds - large excisions which cannot have primary closure and repair of scar contractures.

The artificial dermis contains collagen extracted from human dermis - the best collagen to use for treatments.

Dermis is the connective tissue between the outer layer of skin, or epidermis, and subcutaneous fat.

The artificial dermis product is a bilayer scaffold. The upper layer is a protective biomedical silicone mem¬brane and the lower layer is a 2mm natural collagen sponge.

The new membranes are highly porous with sustained biological properties, while all the allogenic der¬mis products available in the market are soliddry natural dermis, said Tanom, who lead the research team.

The team has to study more in the clinical trial and expects to report the results in two years.

The price of this local product would be kept down to Bt2,000 compared to Bt25,000 for the imported variety, he added.