Two years after concluding an initial agreement on research and development in cosmetics, BASF and Poietis have signed a new framework agreement on further development and services in the field of 3D bioprinting technology. The main goal is to further improve the 3D laser-assisted bioprinted skin models that have been co-developed since 2015 to evaluate cosmetic ingredients for skin care applications.
Poietis has developed an innovative 3D laser-assisted bioprinting technology, by which organic tissues can be reproduced, allows a precise positioning of skin cells in three-dimensional structures. Thus, it is now possible to produce fully printed skin equivalents in only two weeks to further study active ingredients effectiveness. These tissue models allow for a more predictive in vitro assessment of the toxicity and the efficacy of drugs candidates and new cosmetic ingredients. Furthermore, the French company is currently developing 3D physiological models and has partnerships with major pharmaceutical and cosmetic groups.
“Bio-printed 3D models are the method of choice for the predictive evaluation of ingredients as these models reproduce the cell environment in vitro by having mechanical and metabolic functionalities close to the vivo”, explained Fabien Guillemot, Founder and President of Poietis.
Poietis bioprinting technology relies on pioneer research conducted during ten years at Inserm and the University of Bordeaux. The company is the exclusive user of this technology worldwide.
“During our cooperation, we gained important insights like the parameters and kinetics of dermis maturation. A mature and thick dermis is an essential condition to obtain optimum results in epidermal printing”, said Sebastien Cadau, responsible for tissue engineering development at BASF. In a first step the new technology has been used to allow an automated reproduction of BASF’s skin model Mimeskin™, which is one of the closest equivalents to the original physiological tissue of human skin. “In a second step, we now want to jointly improve the skin models by increasing structure complexity and adding new cell types.”
In the coming years, BASF intends to develop and market several active ingredients for cosmetic products that harness the findings of the collaboration.
“This agreement confirms a fruitful scientific collaboration and strengthens our partnership with the leading ingredients manufacturer for the personal care market. This is a formal recognition of Poietis’ unique technology and its valorization driven by new developments since the creation of the company”, emphasized Bruno Brisson, Poietis Co-Founder and Vice President Business Development.
