Over 400,000 burns occur annually with around 40,000 requiring hospitalization. Allogenic skin grafts, the current treatment method, are inadequate due to a limited supply, a painful transplant process that can lead to infection, and prolonged recovery. In recent years, tissue engineering has sought to develop an alternative through biodegradable scaffolds that mimic organ tissue and promote angiogenesis and cell proliferation. 

 

       Team TISSUE aims to cryogenically 3D print vascularized dermal tissue with a hybrid hydrogel composed of collagen, fibrin, and sodium alginate. Cryogenic 3D printing involves freezing newly printed bioink in order to increase the mechanical strength of scaffolds. Optimizing the structural integrity of 3D printed scaffolds and the material components of tissues can pave the way for vascularized channels in engineered tissue. A cryogenic chamber will be constructed in order to control the temperature of the 3D printing process and to alter the solidification of hydrogel scaffold layers. A hydrogel system that encourages wound healing, tissue regeneration, and structural support will be formulated in order to produce sustainable, biocompatible dermal scaffolds.