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Published: 27 May 2024

Animal-free alternative to animal testing in veterinary medicine

Many dogs suffer from skin problems and diseases that require treatment. It is not possible to simply use medications developed for humans, as their effects can differ significantly between dogs and humans. Therefore, the development of medications for dogs requires dog-specific model systems that provide relevant results for dogs. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology in Stuttgart have developed such a model within their project 'WowWowSkin'.

As starting material, they used skin samples obtained during medically necessary surgeries, which were provided to the research team by veterinarians. Thus, no dog had to suffer for the development of the lab-grown skin. From the skin samples, the scientists isolated various skin cells, namely keratinocytes from the outermost skin layer and fibroblasts from deeper skin layers. Since such donor-derived cells cannot be cultured indefinitely in the lab, the cells were genetically modified to allow unlimited division and proliferation. These immortalized skin cells were then combined into a three-dimensional skin model. The arrangement of the different cell types was done in such a way that the layering of natural skin into epidermis and dermis was replicated, making the lab-grown skin appear almost indistinguishable from real dog skin under the microscope. By using the immortalized cells, the lab-grown skin can be reproducibly manufactured in any quantity, which is a prerequisite for its use in standardized testing of the efficacy and safety of drugs.

Medications and care products such as shampoos or soaps can now be tested on the 'full-thickness skin equivalents.' It is also possible to infect the lab-grown skin with bacteria to search for active substances that fight them without harming the skin.

With this dog-specific skin model, the research team is filling a market gap and contributing to the more animal-friendly development of new veterinary therapeutics. Further developments will include breed-specific skin models for dogs and skin models for other animal species such as cats or horses.