Advances in Bioprinting to Model Immune-Mediated Skin Diseases

Abstract

Chronic, non-communicable inflammatory skin diseases, are a group of inflammatory conditions with high prevalence across the world and represent a significant challenge in medicine, due to the high number of patients arriving for medical consultations. The development of engineered skin tissue models aims to create advanced in vitro models that accurately recapitulate various skin disorders. Furthermore, the introduction of the 3Rs framework to reduce animal testing, alongside specific legislation intended to minimize such testing, has driven research toward developing in vitro models that closely imitate human conditions and skin pathologies, while also being suitable for testing new therapeutic and cosmetic products. In this context, advancements in bioprinting technologies, which promise to ensure consistent quality, reduce technical variances, and enable upscaling, can improve the reproducibility and performance of such models. This work discusses current advancements in the field of bioprinting of in vitro skin models with a particular focus on their application in the research of immune-mediated diseases.