2 Overall perspective on the clinical importance of skin models

Skin models that recapitulate the features of specific skin diseases provide valuable insight into the pathophysiology of these diseases. They provide useful and specialized systems for the development of new treatments that can be tested in a number of different conditions and ultimately translated into the clinic. As such, skin models play a vital role and are clinically important. This chapter will discuss the use of skin models in understanding the pathophysiology of diseases associated with the skin (e.g., skin cancer, trauma, and wound healing), drug discovery, and lastly their use in cell therapy. The strengths and limitations of skin models will be highlighted and discussed as well as the challenges that researchers and clinicians currently face in developing optimal skin models.