Scientists said the advance could mark a breakthrough in regenerative medicine.

Intercytex Group Plc, which specialises in cell therapy, said its laboratory-made living skin was fully and consistently integrated into the human body.

The new skin appears to work better than other substitutes tried in the past, which biodegrade in situ after a few weeks.

Results of the tests showed that Intercytex's artificial skin, ICX-SKN, was fully integrated after 28 days, producing a closed and healed wound site.

Intercytex now plans to test ICX-SKN on larger wounds and move on to pivotal clinical trials that would generate sufficient data to seek a marketing license.

Current best practice for serious wounds is to use a skin graft taken from a different part of the patient's own body - but this is a painful process and creates a new wound.

ICX-SKN is made up of a matrix produced by the same skin cells - fibroblasts - that are responsible for laying down the collagen in natural skin. The fibroblasts weave a structure which mimics that found in skin.