EarSkin and EarCartilage—combining bioengineered human skin with bioprinted cartilage for ear reconstruction.

Microtia is a congenital disorder that can occur as a malformation of the external ear in children. In a new study published in Science Advances, Dominika Zielinska and a research team in tissue biological research, tissue engineering, polymer technologies and biofabrication at the University of Children's Hospital Zurich, ETH Zurich, Switzerland and the U.S., developed a tissue-engineered treatment approach by using bioprinted autologous auricular cartilage construct as ear cartilage, combined with a bioengineered human pigmented and prevascularized ear skin substrate already tested in immunocompromised rats.