ISTANBUL, March 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

A team of multi-disciplinary researchers from Koç University developed artificial skin and bone tissue for the first time in Turkey. This study will further help in treatment of burns and bone fractures. The laboratory phase of the study has been completed and results are proved to be promising. Next steps are tests on animals and clinical trials.

Prof. İsmail Lazoğlu (Mechanical Engineering Department), Prof. İskender Yılgör (Chemistry Department) and Associate Professor Halil Kavaklı (Chemical&Biological Engineering Department) are leading this multidisciplinary research. "3D Tissue Scaffold" will enable artificial skin and bone tissue generation. This project [funded by TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey)] aims to manufacture custom designed bone patch for patients with fractured bones and artificial skin implant for patients who need skin implant.

Prof. İsmail Lazoğlu, Mechanical Engineering Department, and Associate Prof. Halil Kavaklı, Chemical & Biological Engineering Department, highlights the following; "We achieved to generate custom designed bone patches and skin of tissue in a controlled environment with the cells taken from the patient's skin which will enable the treatment of patients with burns & fractured bones. The 3D scaffold has been developed as a result of inter disciplinary study through a machine which was designed in Turkey. It is very exciting for us to see the coming of successful laboratory results, for it will be hope for most patients suffering from burns and elderly with fractured bones, at the end of the clinical trials."

Through "Rapid Precise Prototyping Technology for Custom Scaffolds", 3D tissue scaffolds for skin and these custom designed artificial tissue and bone scaffolds can be transformed into physical tissue scaffolds in a computerized environment. The bio-compatible polymer material is turned into 3D tissue scaffolds via the mechatronic system developed. Skin and bone cells are planted into the tissue scaffolds and controlled growth of artificial skin and bone is successfully achieved.

About Koc University:

Koç University was founded in 1993 as a non-profit private university located in Istanbul.  The mission of Koç University is to be a center of excellence, create new knowledge via the research of its faculty, and equip its students with the highest sense of ethics, social responsibility and good citizenship. Koç University is currently ranked among the top 250 universities in the world by The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2012-2013. http://www.ku.edu.tr

Contact:
Deniz Sözüdogru,
T: +90-2123381050 M: +90-5497760261
dsozudogru@ku.edu.tr

SOURCE Koc University