Skin

Paper Summary:

This paper explains the demand for substitute skin is because (1) the loss of significant amounts of this layer can result in functional morbidity or death and (2) the many burn injuries and dermatological disorders such as chronic skin ulcers and nevi excision, which require substitute skin. The author points out that, to design a skin substitute, it is necessary to replace both the dermal and epidermal layers because the dermal layer cannot spontaneously regenerate in humans and the epidermal layer is needed as protection for underlying dermis. The paper relates that the three main types of temporary skin substitutes, which are used for coverage of wounds that do not completely eliminate the dermis or for areas where skin is being removed as a donor site, are allograft, synthetic, and bio-synthetic; whereas, the two main types of permanent skin replacements are bio-synthetic and biologic, but many of the newer types of artificial skin being developed are a combination of both categories.

From the Paper:

"The basic design criteria specified by Yannas and Burke have become standards used to fabricate new skin alternatives. These criteria