Synthetic skin instead of animal tests

Skin protects the human body from drying out, penetration by pathogens, and ultraviolet radiation. In order to do all that, the skin sometimes requires support from pharmaceutical products and cosmetics. With the help of extensive testing, the producers of creams, lotions, and other products ensure that the ingredients are tolerated by the skin. The test procedures are expected to be quick and cost-effective and make animal testing unnecessary. Artificial tissue models are one solution that meets these requirements. For example, the Revivo startup in Singapore, in which Evonik recently acquired shares, has developed a model that simulates the reaction of skin tissue to certain substances. It imitates not only the skin’s structure and functionality but also its blood flow—an important basis for efficient tests without animal subjects.