Skin tissue successfully grown in lab
12 Apr 2016 by Evoluted New Media
Scientists from the RIKEN research institute in Japan have transplanted complex skin tissue grown in a lab into living mice.
Scientists from the RIKEN research institute in Japan have transplanted complex skin tissue grown in a lab into living mice.
The transplanted skin formed proper connections with nerves and muscle fibres and scientists hope that this could lead to functional skin transplants for patients.
Dr Takashi Tsuji, lead author, said: “We are coming ever closer to the dream of being able to recreate actual organs in the lab for transplantation, and also believe that tissue grown through this method could be used as an alternative to animal testing of chemicals.”
Previous research has been able to grow epithelial cells before but they lacked both oil-secreting and sweat glands that would allow them to function like normal. This time researchers took mouse gum cells and chemically converted them into stem-cell like induced pluripotent cells. The cells developed into an embryoid body (EB) with the use of Wnt10b signalling.
Multiple EBs were transplanted into immune-deficient mice where they changed into differentiated tissue. Once the tissue had differentiated, it was transplanted into mice. The transplanted tissue developed normally as integumentary issue – the tissue between the inner and outer skin. The use of Wnt10b ensured a larger number of hair follicles in the mice.
Dr Tsuji said: “Up until now, artificial skin development has been hampered by the fact that the skin lacked the important organs, such as hair follicles and exocrine glands, which allow the skin to play its important role in regulation. With this new technique, we have successfully grown skin that replicates the function of normal tissue.”
