Skin functionalization by laser microperforation and immune cell inclusion through BA-LIFT technology (Conference Presentation)

Achieving functionalized artificial skin with immune response would solve an important problem when treating burn patients with larger skin transplants, since the skin is the main immune barrier of the human body and until now these models have lacked immune response. Furthermore, with the proper biological approach, we could obtain a generic skin suitable for transplantation to patients with different major histocompatibility complex (MHC). This work presents an original method to achieve this goal by creating cylindrical pore-like structures with laser, where subsequently immune cells are included using a BA-LIFT (Blister Actuated Laser Induced Forward Transfer) technique in a co-culture with the treated skin, in order to assess their engraftment to the artificial skin.