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Artificial Skin
Skin grafting is the procedure of replacing dead skin with live skin. There are two primary methods of
skin grafting – Autologous skin graft and allograft transfers.
The autologous skin graft transfers skin from one part of the body to another. The allograft transfers
skin from the bodies of other people / cadaver. Allografts offer only temporary cover, as they are
quickly rejected by a person’s immune system.
The artificial skin is used in the skin grafting process. After removing burnt / damaged skin, surgeons
blanket the wound with a covering (artificial skin) before applying a skin graft on top of this
biomaterial to encourage the growth of new skin to close the wound.
Product characteristics
Artificial skin consists of two layers. The bottom layer, which is designed to regenerate the lower
layer of real skin, is composed of a matrix of interwoven bovine collagen (a fibrous cow protein) and
a sticky carbohydrate (sugar) molecule called glycosaminoglycan, which mimics the fibrous pattern of
the bottom layer of skin. This matrix then sticks to a temporary upper layer: a medical-grade, flexible
silicon sheet that mimics the top, epidermal layer of skin. Integra® is major brand in artificial skin
grafts. The Integra® skin grafts look somewhat like translucent plastic wrap.
Market for artificial skin
The artificial skin market in India is negligible due to very high costs involved. For example, a four
inch by four inch skin patch costs Rs 40 lakh. The Burns Association of India is developing a skin
bank to aid its grafting procedures. Indigenous development of artificial skin is already underway,
however, there not many cases of clinical trials reported.