The skin, the largest organ of the human body, serves as a crucial barrier against harmful substances, microorganisms, and environmental conditions. It prevents moisture loss and blocks external materials while being part of the immune system, defending against pathogens to prevent infections and diseases. The skin's sensory nerve endings perceive stimuli like temperature, touch, pain, and pressure, enabling interaction with the environment.
Although the skin can self-repair through dermal fibroblast proliferation, this ability decreases with age or diseases like diabetes, leading to prolonged wound healing, swelling, and infection. Large wounds often require skin grafts from the patient's own body or pig skin, causing additional pain and requiring long-term immunosuppressants, which reduce immune capacity and increase infection risk. Therefore, developing a simple, effective, and reliable artificial skin is crucial for addressing the shortage of transplantable skin sources.
