Scientists in Sweden have developed a breakthrough treatment that could change how severe burns and wounds are healed.
The innovation, described as “skin in a syringe,” is an injectable gel that helps the body regenerate skin without leaving scars.
The new material was developed at Linköping University and is designed to support the growth of the dermis the thicker, more complex layer of the skin that contains blood vessels, nerves, and hair follicles.
Unlike current burn treatments, which often rely on skin grafts from the upper epidermis and result in scarring, this gel encourages the body to grow complete skin.
According to the research team, the gel is made by combining gelatin beads with hyaluronic acid, a natural substance in the body.
Using a technique called click chemistry, the mixture forms a gel that can be injected directly into wounds or even used in 3D printing to create skin grafts. Once applied, it solidifies and provides live cells that stimulate skin regeneration.
Experiments carried out on mice showed promising results.
The gel integrated with surrounding tissue, sprouted blood vessels, and began producing collagen, a protein critical for healthy skin formation.
Johan Junker, a researcher at the Swedish Centre for Disaster Medicine and Traumatology, and lead author of the study published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, explained that the cells within the gel survived and secreted substances essential for new dermis growth.
Burn treatment currently relies heavily on transplanting the epidermis a thin, single-layered part of the skin.
However, this method often leaves scars since it does not replace the deeper dermis layer.
Transplanting the dermis itself is rarely possible because it would cause another large wound on the donor site.
Although the technology is still in the experimental stage and has only been tested on animals, researchers believe it could eventually transform treatment for burn victims. Clinical trials on humans are still several years away, and scaling up the process remains a challenge.
Beyond burns, experts suggest that the same technique could be applied in other areas of medicine, including organ repair and the creation of lab-grown tissues for drug testing.
If successful, “skin in a syringe” could represent a major leap forward in regenerative medicine, offering patients a chance at healing without the lasting scars that traditional treatments often leave behind.
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