Vascularized and perfused skin-on-chip – PerVaSkin

Unveiling skin physiopathology is essential for biological and medicl research. Because animal models fail at predicting human responses to drugs and chemicals in pathology and toxicology, it is crucial to develop skin substitutes with tissue engineering strategies. There are indeed still unmet needs for production of micro-vascularized skin substitutes, which are of utmost importance for investigation of skin diseases, and for evaluation of drug toxicity and availability in skin. The aim of the PerVaSkin project is to develop a vascularized skin-on-chip with perfused capillaries by associating state of the art 3D cell culture and microfabrication. We will use cell sheet-based technology for generating vascularized skin substitutes in their own microenvironment. This engineered tissue will be integrated in microfluidic devices assisted with cell culture automation, thus providing a unique tool for applied skin research, diagnosis and personal medicine using patient-derived skin cells.