In vitro testing of the penetration and permeation of nanomaterials on an artificial human skin model

With the help of tissue engineering new products are realized. The purpose of the development is design 3D models with organ-specific characteristics to use them as test systems. With these models it is possible to test effectiveness as well as metabolisation of potential substances as e.g. for nanomaterials. This model can also represent an alternative to animal testing. Thus a possibility of the fast and broad screening is created by pharmaceutical active agents. A condition for such screenings of relevant substances is a standardized and well reproducible in vitro system The purpose of developing such a tissue engineered 3D skin model is to evaluate organ specific influences of materials and nanomaterials on cellular level. Preliminary experiments to analyze the biocompatibility of carbon nanotubes are performed and results will be shown. Further applications of such skin models are analyzing new developed nanomaterials with the aim of considerably reducing or replacing animal testing as demanded by the OECD Test Guideline 428A. Future emphasis of our work is the establishment of different test systems to investigate wound healing, melanoma research and infection biology.