The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to develop an innovative multi-functional patch to efficiently heal chronic (non-healing) wounds. Chronic wound patients (such as diabetic foot ulcer and bed sore patients) are often subject to lengthy and costly treatments. As an example of the societal burden from chronic wounds, chronic diabetic foot ulcers alone lead to 50,000 amputations each year in the US, often after lengthy and expensive period of unsuccessful treatment trials. Current product solutions in the market have demonstrated limited clinical success in effective treatment of chronic wounds. This multi-functional patch has a capacity to significantly reduce the cost and social burden associated with the treatment of non-healing wounds. In chronic wounds, the body's healing process has paused because of a combination of multiple factors: lack of cell migration, limited vessel formation, bacterial infection, and unbalanced inflammation. This innovation makes possible a single dressing product that can efficiently resume the healing process by addressing all four underlying issues. The patch implements the therapy in a sequence that is more compatible with the timeline and biology of wound healing stages.
This I-Corps project will further develop a multi-functional patch technology in order to adapt to the current clinical needs of treating chronic wounds. The patch has a unique combination of biopolymers, antibacterial nanoparticles, and therapeutic biomolecules which can potentially overcome the main issues of chronic wounds. The technology platform mimics the physical, chemical, and mechanical characteristics of skin. The homogeneous distribution of the therapeutic biomolecules in the patch is designed to offset the impaired molecular and cellular healing process in chronic wounds through substantial acceleration of the angiogenesis process, cell proliferation, and balancing the inflammation through the course of healing process. The patch contains nanoparticles with capacity to locally activate the impaired immune system which in turn can remove pathogenic bacterial colonies. The sequential release of nanoparticles and biomolecules during the patch degradation process uniquely enables the patch to overcome the complications associated with chronic wounds, thereby accelerating the healing process.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
