Abstract
The skin regulates several important physiological processes which have a
significant clinical influence on wound healing. Tissue-engineered substitutes may be
used to help patients with skin damage to regenerate their epidermis and dermis. Skin
replacements are also gaining popularity in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors as
a viable alternative to animal models for product testing. Recent biomedical advances,
ranging from cellular-level therapies like mesenchymal stem cell or growth factor
delivery to large-scale biofabrication techniques like 3D printing, have enabled the use
of novel strategies and biomaterials to mimic the biological, architectural, and
functional complexity of native skin. This chapter elaborates on some of the most
recent methods of skin regeneration and biofabrication that use tissue engineering
techniques. Current problems in manufacturing multilayered skin are discussed, as well
as opinions on attempts and methods to overcome such constraints. Commercially
accessible skin substitute technologies are also investigated, as an effort to mimic
native physiology, the function of regulatory authorities in facilitating translation, and
current clinical requirements. Tissue engineering may be used to develop better skin
replacements for in vitro testing and clinical applications by addressing each of these
viewpoints.