Intercytex develops artificial skin to reduce scarring

A prototype artificial skin used to heal wounds, codenamed ICX-SKN, has been developed by British researchers at the Intercytex company.

This BBC article outlines Intercytex's ICX-SKN research (Tuesday, 26 June 2007) covering the new direction skin grafting and wound healing will take by the use of synthetic skin. It does not seem this approach will be an entire solution to scars, rather it may be used to only reduce scarring; nevertheless this treatment will definitely benefit many scar sufferers. The article states:

"After 28 days the artificial skin had remained stable and the wounds had healed with relatively little scarring."

Intercytex currently has FOUR products in their pipeline which aim to "restore and renegenerate skin and hair":

(1.) ICX-RHY - Vavelta= a facial rejuvenation product which has recently been launched on a limited release basis only in the UK.

(2.) ICX-PRO= a topical designed to stimulate active repair in chronic wounds. Their lead product for the treatment of leg ulcers.

(3.) ICX-SKN= ***Key Product For Scar Sufferers***. Developing synthetic skin to treat wounds post-injury or excision thus reducing risk of scarring - recently completed a Phase I trial.

(4.) ICX-TRC= a hair regeneration product for male-pattern baldness - in Phase II trials.

These products are in development phase apart from ICX-RHY - Vavelta. Intercytex states that all their products are derived from unmodified human cells.

This blog will definitely follow developments in Intercytex's ICX-SKN product very closely.

Reason for Being - A Blog for Scar Sufferers

Over the past few years the medical community has begun to focus heavily on ways to drastically minimise and prevent scarring post-surgery and dermal wounding in humans, as well as ways to remove old scar tissue that has resulted from acne or skin inflammation.

This blog aims to collate, document and present various articles that cover current and potential research into scarless wound healing. This shift in focus would suggest we are now only a few years away from the presentation of drugs which would prevent scar tissue growth, thus providing people, who have suffered from any type of scarring, an end to their emotional suffering.

I also hope this blog can serve as a place where scar sufferers (of all types: acne, atrophic, hypertrophic, keloids etc.) can discuss and contribute their experiences about how they deal with their scarring and the assorted methods they have tried to reduce them.

The coming years should demonstrate a shift from current treatments intending to help with scar-less healing towards an approach whereby all treatments will produce scarless wound healing.

Brad