Following a highly successful pre-clinical phase, Xia-Hifa’s revolutionary new synthetic skin, NuSkyn, has now been approved for Phase I clinical trials.

Inspired by the early ‘00s move towards a holistic approach to improvements in long-term form and function of synthetic skin, the cross-departmental team at Xia-Hifa (spanning Genetics, Pharmaceuticals and Robotics divisions) has worked to provide not just innovative solutions to wound care, but improvements over and above natural skin function.

The team has sought to build upon recent advances in the field of Dermetics - temporarily restoring normal mechanical and aesthetic characteristics to ageing skin (Wu et al., 2016) - by moving towards a more permanent improvement in synthesised skin used in wound care. Angiogenesis into newly grafted skin is induced through the application of engineered cybernetic processes into collagen scaffolds, allowing a cross-linked biopolymer layer to fully integrate with the patient’s own undamaged dermis surrounding the wound site. In the likely event of a successful graft the need for re-epithelialisation is removed, as the biopolymer layer becomes part of the patient’s skin at the wound site.

For more information on these trials, or to register an interest in participation in Phase II or III trials please visit the UK Clinical Trials Network.