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Engineered Skin Substitutes Edge Closer to Clinical Reality

by Medical

Researchers are advancing lab-grown skin substitutes that could reshape treatment for burns and chronic wounds. A comprehensive overview of this progress, published in Nature Outlook: Skin, highlights how multilayer grafts are moving closer to clinical use. In 2023, Anthony Atala at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, reported a printed three-layer graft that included pigment cells, vasculature, and hair follicles. In pigs, these grafts successfully merged with host tissue. “Why don’t we engineer skin that is full thickness, so you can actually use that as a permanent graft — just like you would a patient’s own graft?” Atala asks.

Battelle and Aprecia Partner with DARPA to Advance Agile Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

by Medical

Private, nonprofit science and technology organization Battelle and 3D pharmaceutical company Aprecia have received a U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) agreement to advance the Establishing Qualification Processes for Agile Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (EQUIP-A-Pharma) research program, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Office of Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC).

Mouth-based touchpad enables people with paralysis to interact with computers

by Medical

A new assistive technology is allowing people with paralysis to use computers, tablets, and smartphones without relying on their hands. The MouthPad, developed by Boston-based startup Augmental, translates tongue and head movements into cursor commands, offering an alternative to voice recognition systems that are often impractical in classrooms or social environments. The system has already transformed the daily lives of users living with severe mobility impairments, giving them a new measure of independence.

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VeroVistas, the fire-resistant 3D printed homes in Colorado Construction 3D Printing

by Architecture

Buena Vista, Colorado is a mountain town known for its incredible views (obviously) as well as its ideal location for hiking. The scenic community is, however, also increasingly at risk of wildfires. In fact, nearly half of Colorado’s population reportedly lives in regions that could be impacted by wildfires, a growing risk due to global warming. Ideally, this risk would be addressed through grand-scale policy changes, but in the absence of that, smaller scale initiatives are critical. One such initiative is being led by construction tech company VeroTouch, which worked with Buena Vista contracting firm South Main to 3D print a pair of fire-resistant homes.