3D Bioprinting Biodegradable Skin Regenerative Wound Dressings – 3DBioReg

Skin loss through non-fatal burns and ulcers are a leading cause of morbidity, including prolonged hospitalization. It is often poorly managed, requiring the frequent changing of single-use wound dressings. This generates a significant amount of contaminated waste globally that is either incinerated or disposed of in landfill. The complexity of burn and chronic skin ulceration wound healing, compared to other skin injuries, requires the development of sustainable and advanced regenerative wound dressings. This proposal aims to develop a biodegradable 3D bioprinted hydrogel wound dressing. This device will encapsulate immortalized foetal keratinocytes and fibroblasts or their extracted secretome. The secretome can accelerate wound healing by inducing the stimulation of skin stem cells. The wound dressing will provide controlled therapeutic levels of biomolecule delivery, protection from wound-secreted proteases, and an external abrasions safeguard. The device will employ engineered biodegradable and compostable biomaterials, contributing to the transition from a major waste stream to a sustainable alternative wound healing device.