Skin tissue engineering

The skin is the largest organ in the body making up 16 % of body weight, with a surface area of 1.8 m. Because it interfaces with the environment, skin primarily serves as a protective barrier allowing and limiting the inward and outward passage of water, electrolytes and various substances while providing protection against microorganisms, ultraviolet radiation, toxic agents and mechanical insults. An injury of large portions of skin, as in severely burned patients, may result in significant disability or even death. Limitations in the use of autografts and local and free flaps in patients with skin and soft tissue loss have lead to the development of tissue-engineered skin. The term tissue engineering came up in 1987 as a result of combining knowledge from the field of engineering and biology to create bioartificial tissue for regenerative medicine.