A perfusable vascularized full-thickness skin model for potential topical and systemic applications.

Area of Science:

• Tissue Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering
• Dermatology

Background:

• Vascularization remains a key challenge for functional and viable engineered tissues like skin grafts.
• Current in vitro models lack complex vasculature, limiting their predictive power for drug development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a perfusable, vascularized full-thickness skin equivalent with a complex vascular network.
• To create a more reliable model for evaluating topical and systemic drug delivery and skin permeability.

Main Methods:

• Combined molding, auto-assembly, and microfluidics to construct the skin equivalent.
• Incorporated a differentiated epidermis and three perfusable vascular channels with angiogenic sprouts.
• Validated vascular integrity using histological analysis and immunostaining (CD31, Collagen IV, etc.).

Main Results:

• The engineered skin equivalent exhibited a differentiated epidermis and a complex vascular network with angiogenic sprouts.
• Demonstrated successful assessment of topical (caffeine, minoxidil) and systemic (benzo[a]pyrene) applications.
• The model proved more predictive for evaluating both topical and systemic delivery compared to existing methods.

Conclusions:

• The developed vascularized skin model offers a more reliable platform for drug discovery and development.
• This advanced model can improve the clinical translation of dermatological therapies.
• Enhances the functionality and viability of reconstructed tissues for various applications.