Intercytex Group Plc, which specialises in cell therapy, said that its laboratory-made living skin was fully and consistently integrated into the human body.
A British biotechnology company has developed a long-lasting artificial skin that has produced promising results in healing wounds in early clinical trials.
Scientists said the advance could mark a breakthrough in regenerative medicine.
Intercytex Group Plc, which specialises in cell therapy, said on Tuesday that its laboratory-made living skin was fully and consistently integrated into the human body. The group’s shares rose 12 per cent to 66-1/2 pence in early trade.
The new skin appears to work better than other substitutes tried in the past.
Results of the tests were published in the journal, Regenerative Medicine and showed that Intercytex’s artificial skin, ICX-SKN, was fully integrated after 28 days, producing a closed and healed wound site.
Intercytex now plans to test ICX-SKN on larger wounds and move on to pivotal clinical trials that would generate sufficient data to seek a marketing licence.
Current best practice for serious wounds is to use a skin graft taken from a different part of the patient’s own body — but this creates a new wound.
Stephen Minger, an expert in cell biology at King’s College London, said the results marked “a real breakthrough” in wound healing.
