Scientists successfully grow artificial skin from umbilical cord stem cells

Washington – Scientists have artificially-grown skin for major burn patients, since the skin could be stored in tissue banks and made available when needed.

Spanish scientists, from the Tissue Engineering Research Group, from the Dept. of Histology at the University of Granada, have managed, for the first time, to grow artificial skin from stem cells of umbilical cord.

Their study shows the ability of Wharton jelly mesenschymal stem cells to turn to oral-mucosa or skin-regeneration epithelia.

To grow the artificial skin, the researchers have used, in addition this new type of epithelia covering, a biomaterial made of fibrin and agarose, already designed and developed by the University of Granada research team.

The study has been published in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.