Human skin grown in lab 'can replace animal testing' (BBC)

By Helen Briggs
BBC News

Skin grown in the laboratory can replace animals in drug and cosmetics testing, UK scientists say.

A team led by King's College London has grown a layer of human skin from stem cells - the master cells of the body.

Stem cells have been turned into skin before, but the researchers say this is more like real skin as it has a permeable barrier.

It offers a cost-effective alternative to testing drugs and cosmetics on animals, they say.
***
Scientists have been able to grow epidermis from human skin cells removed by biopsy for several years, but the latest research goes a step further.
***
more: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-27129861