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Wesley Tingey
By Stephen Beech
A high-tech “living skin” implant glows green to warn when illness is about to strike.
The next generation of wearable health devices has been successfully trialled in mice by scientists in Japan.
They explained that the state of the art implant monitors internal biomarkers – proteins that indicate inflammation, stress, or disease.
The process usually relies on blood sampling or externally attached sensors that operate only for limited durations.
In the new approach the skin lights up to signal health changes
Wearable health devices – such as smartwatches – have become commonplace, enabling continuous monitoring of physiological signals at the skin’s surface.
Now a Japanese research team has developed a “biohybrid” approach that works inside the body – transforming engineered skin to a visible indicator of internal biological states.
The group, led by scientists from Tokyo City University and the University of Tokyo working with RIKEN and Canon Medical Systems engineers, created the living sensor display.
Kalyan Sak
The engineered skin graft glows in response to specific biomarkers, such as inflammation.
The system leverages the body’s natural skin regeneration to support long-term biomarker monitoring, providing a visual readout without blood sampling after implantation and enabling assessment by observation.
Professor Hiroyuki Fujita, of Tokyo City University, said: “Conventional approaches are often invasive or provide only snapshots in time.
“Our goal was to explore a biologically integrated system that enables continuous sensing and intuitive interpretation, even at home.”
To achieve their goal, the researchers used epidermal stem cells, which naturally maintain and renew the skin throughout life.
By genetically engineering the cells to respond to inflammatory signalling – specifically, the activation of the NF-κB pathway – the team generated skin tissue that expresses enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in response to inflammation-related signals.
When transplanted onto mice, the engineered skin engrafted and functionally integrated with the host tissue.
Upon the induction of inflammation, the grafted area emitted green fluorescence, translating internal molecular signals to an external optical signal.
Bozhin Karaivanov
Because the sensor comprises living epidermal stem cells, the research team say it is maintained through the skin’s natural turnover.
Professor Shoji Takeuchi, of the University of Tokyo, said: “Unlike conventional devices that require power sources or periodic replacement, this system is biologically maintained by the body itself.
“In our experiments, the sensor functionality was preserved for over 200 days, as the engineered stem cells continuously regenerated the epidermis.”
The researchers say their study, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows a “proof of concept” for long-term, biologically integrated sensing without batteries, wiring, or active user operation.
Although the work focused on inflammatory signalling, the researchers say the underlying strategy is adaptable.
Fujita said: “By modifying the molecular targets, similar engineered skin constructs could be designed to respond to other physiological or metabolic cues.”
The researchers say that the technology could have applications beyond human healthcare, including in animal research and veterinary medicine, where visual indicators of well-being may aid the early detection of disease in species unable to communicate symptoms.
Prof Fujita added: “Although still at an early preclinical stage, this work offers a biologically grounded approach for interfacing living tissues with sensing functions, blurring the boundary between biological systems and engineered devices.”
