The promising future of skin cell bioprinting

3D bioprinting of skin cells has emerged as a promising therapeutic solution for severe skin injuries such as lacerations or burns. While no mature skin bioprinting technologies are ready for patients today, the field of bioprinting has had rapid experimental growth since the early 2000s. A review by Jiao et al. summarizes many of the technological advancements.

“3D bioprinting has emerged as a revolutionary solution for fabricating biomimetic skin constructs, but the field lacks a comprehensive summary of core technologies, bioink development, and functional regeneration progress,” said author Tian Jiao.

Current skin transplantations run the risk of infection and can be limited based on the patient’s donation ability. Skin bioprinting, on the other hand, can reduce these challenges due to the personalized nature of the therapy. Printed skin cells can reconstruct the epidermal and dermal layers of skin and recreate aspects of the skin such as vascular networks, pigmentation, and appendages like hair follicles or sweat glands. Being able to personalize skin grafts to a patient also reduces the risk of immune rejection.

Vascularization — constructing the vascular networks that will allow for the skin graft to survive after translation — is a current challenge holding back widespread adaptation. In addition, the technology has not been scaled to meet clinical needs in terms of testing, production, and meeting regulations.

“While some bioprinters are commercially available for research purposes, the integration of skin-specific bioinks, precise structural and functional reconstruction, and regulatory approval for clinical use have not yet been fully achieved,” Jiao said. “Current efforts focus on optimizing scalability, biocompatibility, and long-term functional stability to pave the way for commercialization.”

Source: “3D bioprinting for structural and functional skin regeneration: Technologies, bioinks, and key challenges,” by Tian Jiao, Zhaoning Wang, Guiquan Han, Cong Liu, Chao He, and Shibang Ma, Biointerphases (2026). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0004978 .