A versatile, bioengineered skin reconstruction device designed for use in austere environments

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Medical Device Design

Background:

• Existing skin substitutes are inadequate for severe injuries in resource-limited settings.
• Austere environments present unique challenges for medical device design and deployment.
• Ideal devices for such settings require biocompatibility, bioresorbability, and ease of use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel skin substitute for treating severe wounds in austere environments.
• To create a device that is biocompatible, promotes tissue healing, and enables topical drug delivery.
• To design a self-adherent device deployable without trained medical personnel.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of a silk fibroin and hyaluronic acid derivative composite.
• Mechanical testing, including ultimate tensile strength and adhesive strength evaluation.
• In vitro assessment of cytocompatibility, reactive oxygen species (ROS) protection, and skin irritation.
• Evaluation of topical drug delivery enhancement using a microneedle array.
• In vitro full-thickness skin wound model for assessing wound healing potential.

Main Results:

• The device exhibited a tensile strength of 438.0 KPa and adhesive strength of 12.0 MPa.
• Hyaluronic acid derivative pre-treatment rescued dermal fibroblast viability from 49.7% to 85.0% against ROS.
• A 223% increase in small molecule epidermal permeation was observed with the integrated microneedle array.
• The device demonstrated no skin irritation in vitro and showed promising integration and cellular migration in a wound model.

Conclusions:

• The developed silk fibroin and hyaluronic acid prototype is mechanically robust and cytocompatible.
• The device offers protection from ROS, enhances topical drug delivery, and is self-adherent.
• This innovative skin substitute shows significant potential for wound healing in austere environments.