The study of wound healing using a 3D engineered skin model 1.0

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    The use of a tissue engineered 3D skin wound model to study and investigate wound healing processes and test newly synthesised wound dressings/ products aimed to promote wound healing.

  • IRAS ID

    346587

  • Contact name

    Karima Bertal-Ngaage

  • Contact email

    k.bertal-ngaage@hud.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Huddersfield

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    NA, NA

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    5 years, 0 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    The largest organ of the body is skin. Therefore, the wellbeing and normal functioning of an individual physiologically and socially depends on the appropriate healing of this organ. Wound healing is a complex and multi-factorial process, therefore, creating a perfect in vitro wound healing model to mimic the in vivo situation can be a very tedious task.
    Animal models are often used as wound healing models but it is uncertain whether these translate into the human scenario.
    Hence, having an in vitro working model of a human wound could significantly improve the pre-clinical phase of research.
    Our initial proof of concept will aim to produce a 3D engineered skin model, to which a wound will be introduced using initially a scalpel (introducing a burn or infecting the model with bacteria might also be considered at a later stage).
    The model will then be used to compare the healing process using various skin cell types. The model will be constructed using tissues from both healthy patients but also from patients suffering from diabetes or severe scarring where wound healing is often impaired. A novel 3D printed dressing developed by the university of Huddersfield will also be tested using this model to demonstrate its potential use in wound dressing assessments.

  • REC name

    London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    24/PR/1151

  • Date of REC Opinion

    30 Sep 2024

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion