Israeli scientists have developed a groundbreaking bioengineered skin graft that significantly accelerates healing for burn victims, cutting recovery time in half compared to current treatments. Announced by Tel Aviv University and Sheba Tel Hashomer Medical Center, the innovation is particularly timely as Israel faces a high number of burn injuries from ongoing conflict.
“This research was born out of necessity,” said Prof. Lihi Adler-Abramovich, co-lead of the study, alongside PhD student Dana Cohen-Gerassi at Tel Aviv University’s Laboratory for Bio-Inspired Materials and Nanotechnology. “Surgical intervention is often necessary for severe burns, but traditional treatments like autologous skin grafting require harvesting healthy skin from other parts of the body, which can be difficult when patients have limited undamaged skin.”
The new graft, produced from the patient’s own cells, is biocompatible, flexible, and robust. In animal studies, the bioengineered skin achieved full wound closure in just four days—half the time of traditional therapies, which take eight days. This study was recently published in Advanced Functional Materials.
Sheba Medical Center has long used cultured epidermal autografts (CEA), where skin cells are cultivated in a lab from a small biopsy. However, CEA grafts are fragile, shrink after removal from culture, and require multiple grafts for large wounds. Additionally, CEA grafts are grown on mouse-derived cells, which presents safety and regulatory challenges.
In contrast, the newly developed skin equivalent mimics natural human skin and avoids animal-derived materials. It is created using a nanofiber scaffold made from PCL, a polymer approved by the FDA, and a short bioactive peptide that promotes cell adhesion and growth. This scaffold is seeded with skin cells from the patient’s biopsy, which then self-organize into layers resembling natural skin—fibroblasts form the dermis, and keratinocytes form the epidermis.
“The goal was to create a graft that not only accelerates healing but also mimics the biological structure of skin,” explained Cohen-Gerassi. “Our graft promotes faster recovery without the issues of shrinkage or fragility.”
The urgency created by the ongoing conflict motivated the team to translate their research into a real-world solution. “Since October 2023, Sheba has treated many young patients with severe burns,” said Dr. Ayelet Di Segni, director of Sheba’s Tissue Bank and Green Skin Engineering Laboratory. “We felt a responsibility to apply our lab-based research directly to patient care.”
One of the key advantages of the new graft is its durability. “Unlike traditional grafts, ours does not shrink or tear upon contact,” said Dr. Marina Ben-Shoshan of Sheba’s Green Center for Skin Graft Engineering. “In animal models, it not only accelerated healing but also encouraged the growth of essential skin structures like hair follicles.”
The nanofibers used in the scaffold are biocompatible and scalable, produced through an efficient and cost-effective spinning process. This scalability opens the door for mass production and future integration of additional healing agents.
Prof. Josef Haik, Head of Sheba’s Plastic Surgery Division and National Burn Center, hailed the breakthrough as a potential revolution in burn care. “This graft, made entirely from a patient’s own cells, is strong, flexible, and easy to handle,” he said. “It offers new hope for burn victims, improving both recovery times and quality of life.”
The research team is moving forward with clinical trials and regulatory approval to bring the technology to patients as quickly and safely as possible.
“This is just the beginning,” Prof. Yossi Haik said. “We’re committed to advancing this technology to benefit patients worldwide.”
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