Investigating Potential Materials for 3D Skin Model

  • Peggy Lim

Student thesis: Master of Philosophy

Abstract

Skin tissue engineering is in demand in regenerative medicine for wound healing and skin transplant. However, skin structure is complex, composing of various skin cells, appendages, and organelle in specific orientation. The recreation of skin extracellular matrix structure, vasculature, the ability to support cell activities, and its role as a protective layer of the human body has been a challenge over the years. Biofabrication and maturation technologies can enable the development of functional tissues and is becoming sophisticated enough to achieve mimetic in vivo-like tissue microenvironments and shows potential in regenerative medicine, disease modelling, and drug testing. To create a functional skin model, its biological environment, mechanical properties, and degradation rate are considered. This report discusses the main challenges and opportunities in the field of skin tissue engineering and discusses the use of 3D bioprinting for the fabrication of a 3D disease model to investigate melanoma. A multi-material and multi-cellular skin construct is proposed and potential materials and fabrication techniques to produce such construct is investigated.
Date of Award31 Dec 2021
Original languageEnglish
Awarding Institution
  • The University of Manchester
SupervisorAmaya Viros Usandizaga (Supervisor) & Paulo Jorge Da Silva Bartolo (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Bioprinting
  • 3D skin model
  • melanoma
  • Biomaterials

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