Collagen Scaffolds for Dermal Grafts

There are ~20,000 burns patients and ~60,000 diabetic amputations, annually, in Europe. Outcomes for dermal tissue replacement are hampered by suboptimal dermal-equivalent materials and a drive is needed to recreate the complex 3D architecture, mechanical, and cell guiding properties of the native tissue.

The pathway through the project is the acquisition of knowledge, first about the three dimensional architectures required for optimised cell infiltration through the scaffold, followed by optimisation of the chemistry, mechanical properties and biochemistry of the scaffold surface.

The project will explore sequential freezing and addition of layers, with controlled interface melting to produce compositionally graded structures. We will use this approach to achieve variations in both architecture and composition with the correct architecture, mechanics, cell binding activity and interconnectivity for each dermal region.