Sweat the Details…

Don't sweat the small stuff….but sweat is definitely big stuff when it comes to human health! Using stem cells, Japanese scientists have grown artificial skin that contains sweat glands and hair follicles. These realistic skin patches may have applications to treat burn victims and replace animals in the testing of chemicals. Previous efforts to develop artificial skin have been limited in terms of realism and functionality, including an absence of hair follicles and glands that can secrete oil and sweat. A research team from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, along with several other Japanese institutions, have jointly overcome these limitations, creating lab-grown skin that very closely approximates the function of normal tissue.


According to an aricle on Gizmodo, the researchers took cells from mice and used chemicals to transform them into induced pluripotent stem cells (undifferentiated cells that can turn into any type of cell in the body). These cells were then transformed into skin cells by recreating the skin’s chemical environment. To create the desired functionality, batches of cells were produced to replicate real skin, including the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous fat layer.