Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the properties and application of various biological materials for tissue engineered artificial skin substitutes, and to search an alternative to the human body.
METHODS: Using “tissue engineering, artificial skin, scaffold” as the Chinese key words, “tissue engineering, artificial skin, intravascular stent” as the English key words, a computer search was performed for articles published between January 1993 and October 2009. Articles related with the biological materials and artificial skin repair were included; repeat study or Meta analysis articles were excluded. The involving 26 articles mainly discussed tissue engineered artificial skin substitutes and their performance.
RESULTS: Tissue engineered artificial skin is to inoculate the epithelial cells and fibroblasts, which are in vitro cultured amplified using tissue engineering technology, into materials with good biocompatibility, and to form skin substitutes of similar epidermis and dermis structures with normal skin following in vitro culture. Then skin substitutes are transplanted into the skin wound to achieve wound repair and reconstruction. The currently research focus of tissue engineering biomaterials is how to compound two or more materials, or various kinds of modifications on the surface of biological materials, how to promote adhesion between cells and materials, how to enhance the biological activity of cells, and how to maintain biological functions.
CONCLUSION: There is no one kind of artificial materials that fully comply with the requirements of tissue engineering. Further research should focus on the improvement of the micro-scaffold permeability and biological activity, and promoting the capillary growth; preparing biomaterial scaffold of bionic structure and highly active compound scaffolds.