@Annalee Newitz @corpore-metal: Fair enough, but that doesn't exactly translate into over-the-counter Band-Aid replacement, then. More like dermatologist office or burn ward product.
True. But things could grow cheap enough that you could bank your own emergency skin, sort of like a blood bank, renewed periodically from new samples taken from your body.
@Fall-Apart: Actually, skin is decently immune privileged. The current FDA approved skin substitutes include de-nucleated cells and cell substitutes. It's more important to cover up the injury than perfectly replicate the skin. Of course, a perfect replacement would need pigmentation, hair, sweat glands, nerve connections, etc, but they're not close yet.
Also, no cell-produced skin product is approved for burn care. I know they were only allowed for chronic skin ulcers (wounds that don't close). As you can see in the picture, larger patches of skin aren't as common yet. Maybe that's changed, but that was up to date as about a year ago. Of course, they may use artificial skin for burn patients, but not the cell-culture variety.
As for the article, I'm pretty sure there are a few skin substitutes besides this that use 2 layers (usually dermal and epidermal). Can't remember the names, but there are others already out there.
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I'll be here all week, ladies and gentlemen.
09/17/09
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HUUUUUUUUUAAAAAGHHH!
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#@!
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05/20/09
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seamless Tattoo removals while you wait...
next door?
Custom pre-printed Tattoo's while you wait..
05/20/09
We're another step closer to vat-grown meat.
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True. But things could grow cheap enough that you could bank your own emergency skin, sort of like a blood bank, renewed periodically from new samples taken from your body.
05/20/09
05/20/09
Also, no cell-produced skin product is approved for burn care. I know they were only allowed for chronic skin ulcers (wounds that don't close). As you can see in the picture, larger patches of skin aren't as common yet. Maybe that's changed, but that was up to date as about a year ago. Of course, they may use artificial skin for burn patients, but not the cell-culture variety.
As for the article, I'm pretty sure there are a few skin substitutes besides this that use 2 layers (usually dermal and epidermal). Can't remember the names, but there are others already out there.
05/20/09
05/20/09