Burn injuries are a serious medical issue affecting millions of people worldwide. When someone suffers a severe burn, doctors often use skin grafts (where healthy skin is taken from another part of the body to cover the wound). However, for patients with large burns, there may not be enough healthy skin available for grafting. Additionally, the wound may struggle to heal due to poor blood supply. To help with these issues, scientists have developed artificial skin substitutes called dermal regeneration templates (DRTs). These DRTs act as temporary scaffolds to support new tissue growth and improve healing. These DRTs typically are made from collagen, a natural protein in the skin, and are strengthened through a process called crosslinking. However, current methods of crosslinking are time-consuming and may also reduce the biological activity of the DRT. This study introduces a new way to strengthen collagen scaffolds using UV light first, then a chemical called glutaraldehyde (GA). This method also helps to tune the degradation of the scaffold’s structure. Additionally, it cuts the total process time in half—from 48 hours to just 24—compared to the older method.

Read more: https://www.a-star.edu.sg/bti/bti-research-highlights/a-novel-approach-to-crosslink-collagen-based-scaffolds