Premium
Toward Immunocompetent 3D Skin Models
Author(s) -
Pupovac Aleta,
Senturk Berna,
Griffoni Chiara,
ManiuraWeber Katharina,
Rottmar Markus,
McArthur Sally L.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
advanced healthcare materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.288
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 2192-2659
pISSN - 2192-2640
DOI - 10.1002/adhm.201701405
Subject(s) - computer science , scope (computer science) , induced pluripotent stem cell , scaffold , variety (cybernetics) , computational model , immune system , human skin , nanotechnology , risk analysis (engineering) , biochemical engineering , biology , engineering , artificial intelligence , immunology , medicine , materials science , embryonic stem cell , biochemistry , genetics , database , gene , programming language
3D human skin models provide a platform for toxicity testing, biomaterials evaluation, and investigation of fundamental biological processes. However, the majority of current in vitro models lack an inflammatory system, vasculature, and other characteristics of native skin, indicating scope for more physiologically complex models. Looking at the immune system, there are a variety of cells that could be integrated to create novel skin models, but to do this effectively it is also necessary to understand the interface between skin biology and tissue engineering as well as the different roles the immune system plays in specific health and disease states. Here, a progress report on skin immunity and current immunocompetent skin models with a focus on construction methods is presented; scaffold and cell choice as well as the requirements of physiologically relevant models are elaborated. The wide range of technological and fundamental challenges that need to be addressed to successfully generate immunocompetent skin models and the steps currently being made globally by researchers as they develop new models are explored. Induced pluripotent stem cells, microfluidic platforms to control the model environment, and new real‐time monitoring techniques capable of probing biochemical processes within the models are discussed.