Skin Substitutes; A New Approach to Wound and Burn Treatment Based on Tissue Engineering

Skin is the largest organ in the human body, and it has the function of protecting the body from exogenous substances and stand as a barrier to fluid loss and trauma. It also maintains the balance and protects the body from external factors such as bacteria, chemicals, and temperature. When the integrity of skin is compromised due to injury as in burns the coverage of skin has to be restored to facilitate repair and regeneration. Conventional wound care may sometimes lead to suboptimal wound healing and significant morbidity and mortality for patients. In cases like chronic wounds, including diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, venous ulcers, and arterial insufficiency ulcers, and second- or third-degree burns which are both difficult and expensive to treat, skin substitutes are preferred for wound coverage, not only because of mentioned benefits, but also because of their advantages in cosmetic issues and scar treatment. Recent advances in tissue engineering techniques, enabled developing new arising skin substitutes. The aim of this paper is to discuss and classify the different types of currently available commercial skin substitutes, and to mention their limitations, to gain a more precise and practical perspective, leading us to identify and meet the essential needs in this area.