[Reading Science] Restoring Skin and Sensation in Burn Injuries

KIST Research Team's Achievement
From Skin Regeneration to Tactile Recovery

When skin problems occur due to burns, skin diseases, trauma, etc., nerve tissue is often damaged as well. The resulting loss of sensory perception causes not only physical but also mental suffering for patients.

A schematic diagram showing the pathway through which external stimuli are transmitted to the nerves via an integrated device developed by KIST researchers.

When the damage is so severe that natural healing is impossible, surgical treatment involving the transplantation of artificial skin to the affected area is necessary. However, artificial skin developed so far has focused on providing a structure and environment similar to skin tissue to promote skin regeneration but has not restored patients' sensory functions. To overcome this limitation, a domestic research team has developed artificial skin capable of restoring tactile sensation.

On the 19th, according to the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), a research team led by Dr. Youngmi Jeong of the Biomaterials Research Center and Dr. Hyunjung Lee of the Spin Fusion Research Group, in collaboration with Professor Uijoon Yeo of Yonsei University and Professor Taeil Kim of Sungkyunkwan University, developed a human-implantable tactile function “Smart Bionic Artificial Skin.”

Unlike existing artificial skin that focused on skin regeneration, the Smart Bionic Artificial Skin integrates a tactile function delivery system implemented with highly biocompatible materials and electronic devices, enabling permanent restoration of damaged tactile sensation. It is an effective combination of biomaterials and electronic technology.

The research team embarked on developing a human-implantable, low-power tactile function smart bionic skin to address skin damage, including severe nerve damage caused by third-degree burns or accidents.

Components of Smart Bionic Artificial Skin with Implantable Tactile Function

The artificial skin developed by the research team is a hydrogel composed of collagen and fibrin, the main components of skin, with a flexible pressure sensor embedded to detect even minute external pressure changes. Hydrogel is a water-rich gel-like substance primarily consisting of a polymer network containing moisture.

The detected pressure changes are converted into electrical signals through electronic tactile receptors and transmitted to nerves via tactile nerve interfacing electrodes. Through this process, the user experiences tactile functions similar to those of normal skin.

It was also confirmed that collagen and fibrin, responsible for skin elasticity and tissue bonding, induce proliferation and differentiation of skin cells around the wound, promoting skin regeneration. When the research team transplanted the Smart Bionic Artificial Skin into mice with severe skin damage, the skin regeneration promotion effect and tactile function reconstruction effect showed more than 120% wound healing compared to the control group at 14 days post-transplantation.

The artificial skin developed by the research team is implanted directly into nerves along the subcutaneous fat layer of the damaged skin, making it more effective for sensory transmission and skin regeneration. Patients with nerve damage can recover tactile sensation after skin regeneration, significantly improving their independence in daily life. It is also expected that elderly people with normal skin but deteriorated sensory function can restore their sensory abilities by directly implanting tactile function electronic devices under the skin.

Dr. Youngmi Jeong of KIST stated, "This research achievement is the result of convergent research combining devices, materials, and regenerative medicine by effectively integrating biomaterials and electronic device technology." She added, "For commercialization, we plan to collaborate with medical institutions and companies and expand research to reconstruct various skin tissue functions such as temperature, vibration, and pain." Dr. Jeong also explained that since the production process of this technology is not difficult, its commercialization potential is high.

This research was conducted with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Jongho Lee) through the Nano and Materials Core Technology Development Project (2018M3A7B4071106). The research results were published in the latest issue of ‘Nature Communications,’ an international journal renowned for global interdisciplinary research and a sister journal of ‘Nature.’

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.