Skin-Organ-On-A-Chip Model Development Service

Creative Biolabs' Skin-On-A-Chip Model Development Service provides clients with customized, in vitro human skin models that accurately mimic the complex structure and function of native skin. These models offer a powerful platform for a wide range of applications, including drug discovery, toxicity testing, and disease modeling.

Our Skin-on-a-Chip Model Development Service helps you accelerate your research and obtain physiologically relevant data through advanced microfluidic technology.

Contact our team to get an inquiry now!

Background

The skin system constitutes the body's most extensive organ, representing approximately 15-20% of total mass and covering 1.8 m² in adults. Its multifunctional architecture provides critical physiological services: environmental monitoring through specialized sensory networks, thermal equilibrium maintenance, biochemical synthesis operations, and defensive shielding against pathogens and physical threats. Acting as a selective molecular gateway, this biological interface regulates ion transport while blocking microbial infiltration, ultraviolet damage, and mechanical injury. Epidermal tissues house neurological detectors that perpetually assess external stimuli. Their thermoregulatory mechanisms stabilize core temperature through vascular adaptations.

Fig 1. Skin structure.^1,3

Contemporary biomedical innovation increasingly prioritizes synthetic epidermal constructs, addressing needs from wound regeneration to cosmetic/drug safety profiling. Regulatory constraints on direct human testing necessitate preclinical compound assessment through vertebrate models. However, ethical controversies surrounding mammalian experimentation have spurred global prohibitions on cosmetic animal testing. Interspecies biological divergences further limit predictive validity, often yielding clinically discordant results that escalate trial failure costs. This paradigm shift drives the adoption of the 3R mandate (refinement, reduction, replacement), favoring advanced in vitro platforms that bypass traditional animal-dependent methodologies.

Skin-on-a-chip

Advancements in organ-mimetic microfluidic platforms and escalating demands for predictive epidermal models in pharmacological/cosmetic screening have catalyzed innovation in epidermal microphysiological systems. These chip-based architectures enable precise regulation of tissue microenvironments through dynamic modulation of biomechanical stimuli (shear stress, compressive forces) and biochemical gradients, enhancing physiological relevance in compound testing.

Fig 2. Schematic representation of the skin-on-a-chip model.^2,3

Cutaneous research advancements demand dynamic System-on-Chip (SoC) platforms capable of mimicking pathological and physiological skin states with high fidelity. Two innovative methodologies have emerged for microfluidic skin modeling: ex vivo tissue integration (using biopsied specimens or reconstructed skin equivalents) versus in situ neotissue fabrication—the former implanting pre-formed dermatological components onto chips, the latter engineering stratified layers directly within microfluidic architectures.

• Transferred skin-on-a-chip

Current dermatological microsystems predominantly employ explant integration strategies, where pre-formed tissue architectures are embedded within microfluidic environments. Source materials bifurcate into clinical specimens (donor-derived biopsies) and lab-grown epidermal equivalents (HSEs). While existing literature documents both epidermal and dermo-epidermal variants, full-thickness architectures dominate transferred tissue implementations. This methodology capitalizes on histologically mature constructs to achieve enhanced biomimicry through native layering preservation. Though diverging from conventional organ-chip criteria, these platforms facilitate critical investigations into systemic interactions (molecular permeability, inter-organ signaling) and pharmacodynamic profiling (compound efficacy, cytotoxic thresholds), demonstrating translational utility despite technical deviations.

Fig 3. Transferred skin-on-a-chip platforms.^1,3

• In situ skin-on-a-chip
  The secondary methodology emphasizes in situ epidermal model fabrication within microphysiological systems. These advanced platforms bifurcate into two implementation strategies:
  • Vascularized Dermal Simulation: Mirroring conventional systems through open-chamber tissue engineering, this technique distinguishes itself via subconstruct microfluidic perfusion. Unlike traditional hollow-channel nutrient delivery, it employs basal biomimetic circulation networks beneath the dermo-epidermal interface.
  • Organomimetic Integration: Representing the pinnacle of chip-based dermatological systems, this paradigm transforms microchannels into multifunctional units—simultaneously facilitating nutrient distribution and serving as 3D tissue habitats. Initial implementations demonstrate keratinocyte cultivation on collagen-functionalized substrates under controlled flow regimes. Compared to static environments, dynamic microflow enhances cellular longevity (despite attenuated proliferation rates) through continuous metabolite exchange. While not yet achieving full epidermal complexity, such systems establish foundational protocols for next-generation organotypic interfaces.

Fig 4. In situ skin-on-a-chip platforms.^1,3

Applications

Skin-on-a-chip technology has a wide range of applications in various fields, including:

• Drug Discovery and Development: Evaluating the efficacy and safety of new drugs, studying drug permeation and metabolism, and identifying potential drug targets.
• Cosmetics Testing: Assessing the safety and efficacy of cosmetic formulations, studying skin irritation and sensitization, and developing new skincare products.
• Disease Modeling: Creating in vitro models of skin diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and skin cancer to study disease mechanisms and develop new therapeutic strategies.
• Basic Research: Investigating fundamental aspects of skin biology, such as cell-cell interactions, barrier function, and wound healing.
• Personalized Medicine: Developing patient-specific skin models to study individual responses to drugs and treatments.

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Why Choose Us?

Creative Biolabs is committed to providing our clients with the highest quality skin-on-a-chip models and exceptional service. Our advantages including:

• Expertise: Our team comprises highly skilled scientists with extensive experience in developing and characterizing complex in vitro models.
• Customization: We offer a highly customized service, working closely with our clients to design and develop skin-on-a-chip models that precisely meet their specific needs.
• Advanced Technology: We utilize state-of-the-art microfluidic platforms and advanced cell culture techniques to create physiologically relevant skin models.
• Data Quality: We are committed to delivering high-quality, reproducible data. Our strict validation and characterization processes ensure that.
• Collaboration: We work closely with you throughout the project lifecycle, providing expert guidance, support, and communication.

FAQs

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References

1. Risueño, Iván, et al. "Skin-on-a-chip models: General overview and future perspectives." APL Bioengineering 5.3 (2021).
2. Jones, Christian FE, et al. "Design of an integrated microvascularized human skin-on-a-chip tissue equivalent model." Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology 10 (2022): 915702.
3. Distributed under Open Access license CC BY 4.0, without modification.