Empa scientists develop innovative hydrogel: a breakthrough for skin disease research and wound treatment.

Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), April 16, 2025

Human exploration of cell culture technology has lasted for decades, but building a three-dimensional tissue model with physiological functions remains a major challenge for the scientific community. Recently, a research team from the Swiss Empa Institute announced that it has successfully developed an innovative hydrogel material based on cold-water fish gelatin that can simulate the structure of human skin and provide a revolutionary tool for skin disease research and wound healing.

Skin: The unsolved mystery of the largest organ in the human body

As the largest organ in the human body, the skin accounts for about 15% of the body weight and undertakes key functions such as resisting pathogens, preventing dehydration, and regulating body temperature. However, despite the high incidence of diseases such as skin cancer, chronic wounds, and autoimmune diseases, there are still many gaps in their pathogenesis and treatment. The joint team of Empa's Biomimetic Membranes and Textiles Laboratory and Biointerface Laboratory, relying on the Swiss national research program SKINTEGRITY.CH, has cooperated with clinical institutions to develop a "living skin model" that aims to reveal the causes of diseases and accelerate drug development by stimulating the skin's layered structure and extracellular matrix (ECM).

Cold-water fish gelatin: a natural solution

Although traditional hydrogels can simulate the high-water content ECM in the skin, they are prone to structural deformation due to water absorption and swelling after 3D printing, limiting their application in complex tissue construction. The Empa team took a different approach and extracted gelatin from the skin of cold-water fish such as cod and pollock, and made "zero-swelling" hydrogels through a simple cross-linking process. This material not only retains the biocompatibility of fish gelatin but also greatly reduces the risk of immune rejection and disease transmission due to the evolutionary differences between fish and humans.

"We found that the molecular structure of cold-water fish gelatin allows it to maintain shape stability during the 3D printing process," said Professor Wei Kongchang, the project leader. "This property allows us to accurately reproduce the dermis, epidermis, and basement membrane structure of the skin, and even simulate skin wrinkles through electrospinning technology."

From the laboratory to the clinic: potential for application in multiple scenarios

In addition to skin model construction, the hydrogel also shows great potential as a wound dressing. Professor Wei pointed out that compared with mammalian gelatin, fish gelatin hydrogel can achieve biocompatibility with human cells without living cells, and can be customized in shape, thickness, and hardness, and even integrate drug ingredients. This feature gives it significant advantages in scenarios such as chronic wounds, burns, and diabetic foot ulcers.

Currently, the Empa team has applied for a patent for the technology and plans to share the platform with scientific research institutions around the world. "Our goal is to establish a standardized skin model to promote a paradigm shift in skin disease research," Professor Wei emphasized. "At the same time, we also look forward to further exploring the 'smart swelling' properties of hydrogels, such as developing responsive drug delivery systems."

About Empa

The Swiss Federal Institute for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) is Europe's leading interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to innovative applications of materials science, nanotechnology, and bioengineering. The SKINTEGRITY.CH program, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, aims to address major challenges in the field of skin health through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Through this breakthrough technology, Empa scientists have not only opened up a new path for skin disease research but also provided key tools for regenerative medicine and precision medicine. In the future, with the clinical transformation of this technology, hundreds of millions of skin disease patients around the world may have more effective treatment options.