Researchers from Tel Aviv University and Sheba Medical Center have developed a revolutionary bioengineered skin graft that could transform burn treatment by healing wounds in half the time of current standard therapies. The innovative technology, published in Advanced Functional Materials, addresses critical limitations in existing burn care while offering superior handling characteristics and accelerated recovery.
The bioengineered skin equivalent, created entirely from patients' own cells, demonstrated remarkable efficacy in preclinical testing. "In model animals, we saw wound closure in just four days versus eight with standard methods," said Dr. Marina Ben-Shoshan, a senior researcher at Sheba Medical Center's Green Center for Skin Graft Engineering. "We even observed early hair follicle growth."
Revolutionary Design Overcomes Current Limitations
Current burn treatment relies primarily on autologous skin grafting, which requires harvesting healthy skin from uninjured areas of the patient's body. This approach presents significant challenges, particularly for extensive burns where intact skin availability is limited.
"The current gold-standard treatment has significant disadvantages, in particular the need to damage healthy tissue in order to treat the injury," explained Professor Lihi Adler-Abramovich from Tel Aviv University's Laboratory for Bio-Inspired Materials and Nanotechnology. "This becomes especially problematic in cases of extensive burns."
The new bioengineered graft addresses these limitations through an innovative design that eliminates the need for additional tissue damage. The technology utilizes FDA-approved nanofiber scaffolds made from PCL polymer combined with bioactive peptides that promote cell adhesion, growth, and proliferation.
Self-Organizing Cellular Architecture
The breakthrough lies in the graft's ability to mimic natural skin structure through cellular self-organization. "We then seeded this scaffold with skin cells derived from a patient's biopsy," explained PhD student Dana Cohen-Gerassi, who led the research. "Remarkably, the cells organized themselves naturally: fibroblasts populated one side of the scaffold, while keratinocytes grew on the other, mimicking the structure of real human skin."
This self-organizing capability eliminates the need for animal-derived materials while preventing the shrinkage and fragility issues that plague existing lab-grown skin alternatives. The resulting graft is described as more stable, robust, and flexible than current treatments, making it significantly easier for surgeons to handle during transplantation procedures.
Clinical Urgency Drives Innovation
The research was accelerated by urgent clinical needs arising from recent conflicts. "Since October 2023, Sheba has treated many young people with burn injuries," said Dr. Ayelet Di Segni, Director of the Sheba Tissue Bank and the Green Skin Engineering Laboratory. "At such a time, bringing knowledge accumulated in the lab directly to the patient's bedside becomes an urgent and tangible goal."
The technology represents a significant advancement for both military and civilian burn victims. "Surgical intervention is often essential for second-degree burns and above to restore skin, prevent infection, and save lives," noted Professor Adler-Abramovich.
Path to Clinical Application
The research team, which includes scientists from Tel Aviv University's Schools of Dental Medicine, Chemistry, and Engineering, as well as Sheba's Burn Center, is now pursuing additional trials and regulatory approvals to advance the technology toward clinical use.
"The bioengineered skin we've developed represents a true breakthrough in burn care," said Professor Yossi Haik of Sheba Medical Center. "This is a major step towards personalized therapies that can greatly improve the recovery and quality of life of severe burn victims, both soldiers and civilians. In the next phase, we plan to conduct trials in additional models and advance the necessary regulatory processes to bring this innovative technology closer to clinical application."
The development offers hope for transforming burn care through personalized medicine approaches that could significantly reduce recovery times while improving patient outcomes and quality of life.
