title: An elastic second skin.
abstract: We report the synthesis and application of an elastic, wearable crosslinked polymer layer (XPL) that mimics the properties of normal, youthful skin. XPL is made of a tunable polysiloxane-based material that can be engineered with specific elasticity, contractility, adhesion, tensile strength and occlusivity. XPL can be topically applied, rapidly curing at the skin interface without the need for heat- or light-mediated activation. In a pilot human study, we examined the performance of a prototype XPL that has a tensile modulus matching normal skin responses at low strain (<40%), and that withstands elongations exceeding 250%, elastically recoiling with minimal strain-energy loss on repeated deformation. The application of XPL to the herniated lower eyelid fat pads of 12 subjects resulted in an average 2-grade decrease in herniation appearance in a 5-point severity scale. The XPL platform may offer advanced solutions to compromised skin barrier function, pharmaceutical delivery and wound dressings.
authors.affiliation: Living Proof, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Living Proof, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
authors.forename: Soo-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Olivo Laboratories, LLC, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
authors.forename: Ariya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akthakul
authors.affiliation: Olivo Laboratories, LLC, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
authors.forename: Nithin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ramadurai
authors.affiliation: Living Proof, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
authors.forename: Morgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pilkenton
authors.affiliation: Living Proof, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
authors.forename: Alpesh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Olivo Laboratories, LLC, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, USA.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nashat
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: The Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.|Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Fernanda H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Gilchrest
authors.affiliation: Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|The Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.|Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors.forename: R Rox
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|Harvard-MIT Division of Health Science and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.|Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Langer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D004548:Elasticity; D004738:Engineering; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D012833:Siloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D012867:Skin; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D012833:Siloxanes