INDEPENDENT.CO.UK

Scientists have developed a 3D-printed imitation of human skin with living cells, an advance they say could enable cosmetic testing without the use of animals.

Researchers, including from the Vellore Institute of Technology in India, say the skin imitation mimics the natural three-layer tissue structure of human skin and is ready for testing cosmetic nanoparticles.

Their study, published in the journal STAR Protocols, comes amid restrictions imposed in the European Union on the animal testing of cosmetics and their ingredients.

Scientists worldwide are looking for alternatives to test the absorption and toxicity of cosmetics like sun creams and serums.

The latest research provides a protocol for fabricating scaffolds similar to human skin using 3D printing. “The process is simple, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and allows customisation by adjusting treatment parameters,” scientists write in the study.

The starting point for making these skin imitations is a hydrogel formulation, printed together with living cells, researchers say.