self-assembled skin substitute

The self-assembled skin substitute (SASS) is an autologous, bilayered tissue-engineered skin product developed by the Laboratoire d'Organogenèse Expérimentale (LOEX). It is produced using a unique scaffold-free "self-assembly" approach, where patient-derived fibroblasts are cultured to secrete and organize their own extracellular matrix, forming robust dermal sheets. Autologous keratinocytes are then seeded onto these sheets and cultured at the air-liquid interface to create a stratified and differentiated epidermis. This method avoids the use of exogenous materials like bovine collagen or synthetic polymers, resulting in a construct that closely mimics the mechanical and biological properties of native human skin. SASS is designed for the permanent closure of full-thickness skin wounds, particularly in patients with extensive burns where donor sites are limited, as well as for chronic ulcers and genetic skin conditions like dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

Other names

LOEX skin substitutetissue-engineered skin substituteautologous bilayered skin substitutehbTESS