The groundbreaking equipment at the Fraunhofer Institute in Stuttgart, could see the end of product testing on animals.
Developed on a larger scale, it could be useful in developing treatments for cancer, pigmentation diseases, and certain skin allergies.
The machine works by heating up to roughly 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of the human body, then robotic hands meticulously extract cells from donated foreskins, all samples of which must come from boys age four-and-under.
“The older skin is, the worse the cells function,” Andreas Traube, an engineer at the institute.
Scientists then take the foreskin cells (one sample can provide up to 10 million cells) and incubate them inside tubes, where they multiply hundreds of times. The cells are then mixed with collagen and connective tissue to create skin about 5 millimeters thick.
The process takes about six weeks – about the same amount of time it takes skin to grow naturally, explained Traube.
“We can’t use the machine to speed up the process; biology needs time to take its course,” he said.
The machine has been endorsed by major German pharmaceutical organisation, the German Association of Research-based
Pharmaceutical Companies.
“I think the idea is a good one. I believe cells from artificially cultivated skin are indeed comparable with real skin,” said spokesman, Rolf Homke.
“I do think it might take a few years to get up and running though. There are complicated international safety standards, these procedures can’t just be changed overnight.”
The machine has not been authorised by European authorities yet. Until it does, the machine is being continually developed, and producing 5000 samples of skin a month.
