Episkin: Growing Skin in the Lab
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 07.28.07
Though we may not like the idea, there's a good chance that we've all been the beneficiaries of animal testing at some point in our lives. Nowhere is this more true than in the world of cosmetics, chemicals and drugs where it is common for tens of thousands of various animals to undergo lab trials each and every year.
Yet help is on the way: a team of researchers at L'Orèal have just invented an artificial skin, dubbed "Episkin," that may soon take the place of all those beleaguered creatures in future trials. Grown from cells obtained from the top layer of pieces of skin, Episkin can be manipulated and adapted based on the tester's needs: it can be made to resemble older skin, can be made to tan and, by using donor cells from women of different ethnicities, can assess the efficiency of sunscreen for various skin tones.
It is expected to make a big splash once animal testing of cosmetics is banned across the EU in 2009. In addition, since another set of EU laws that will come into play in 2019 will require thousands more chemicals to be tested for skin irritability, companies are gearing up to find an alternative to human skin. And while it won't completely eliminate the need for animal testing — the food, drug and chemicals industries will still have use them by law — it will help spare many tens of thousands of animals from having to suffer through these trials.
Via ::Daily Mail: Human skin for testing cosmetics is grown in the lab (newspaper)
See also: ::Plastic Heal Thyself: Materials Mimic Vascular Networks, ::Stella McCartney's New Skin "Care" Line, ::Earthtalk :: Animal Testing
Image courtesy of Akira Ohgaki via flickr
i dont know why but this seems very disturbing.
Though if they are making skin from donor skin cells then it only seems logical that burn patients and those needing skin grafts would benefit greatly from such technology. As oposed to removing skin from other areas of the body.
Hooray - The very idea that animal testing still takes place under the guise of cosmetic advancement is in itself troubling. Do we really need another hairspray? I would have thought the miracles of branding, image and product perception management would be enough to fool most of us into believing we needed this product, but not at the cost of an animals life, or well being.
maybe not alex, who's to say that just because they can grow skin that they can actually graph it to a body and the host accepts it or the episkin will live once its graphed on. im sure if its possible and safe they wouldn't just rule it out.
It's about dang time!
Animals have suffered far too long for human vanity.
I'll volunteer to be the donor!
this is so cool. this will help me in school!!!!!
i need to no about the loreal and cover girl like on brand like was it out last and endless or color rich on the loreal and the cover girl which one are test on i would like the list thank you stacie hall
This is a great idea!!!!
We should use episkin for all cosmetic tests and eliminate animal tests all together! This way we can stop torturing animals by injecting substances into their bodies and dripping stuff in their eyes!
STOP ANIMAL TESTING!!!
Um... wow. I'd like to make a correction, because I've been doing a vast amount of research for an animal rights speech I am going to give and NO COMPANIES REQUIRE TESTING ON ANIMALS BY LAW. NONE!!!! Maybe the author of this should omit the part about animal testing is still needed because it's not. Animals are too different physiologically from humans to produce accurate results. Plus, animal testing is much more expensive and time consuming for those of you who don't think the fact that it is TORTURE is enough of a reason for it to be eliminated. So there's my two cents.
It's not necessarily donation. They are taking discarded skin from plastic surgery procedures.
It's not necessarily donation. They are taking discarded skin from plastic surgery procedures.