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Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2005 Publication Date: 11/15/2004 Citation: Edwards, J.V. 2004. Future structure and properties of mechanism-based wound dressings. Proceedings of the Industrial Fabrics Association International. p. 145-159. Interpretive Summary: Chronic wounds are a major worldwide health problem. The research and development of chronic wound dressings, which possess a mechanism-based mode of action, has entered a new level of understanding in recent years based on improved definition of the biochemical events associated with pathogenesis of the chronic wound. Carbohydrate-based wound dressings have received increased attention for their molecular interactive properties with chronic and burn wounds. Traditionally the use of carbohydrate-based wound dressings including cotton, xerogels, charcoal cloth, alginates, chitosan and hydrogels, have afforded properties such as absorbency, ease of application and removal, bacterial protection, fluid balance, occlusion, and elasticity. Recent efforts in our lab have been underway to design carbohydrate dressings that are interactive cotton dressings as an approach to regulating destructive proteolysis in the non-healing wound. This paper demonstrates an important technology for development of value-added cotton-based wound dressings. An improvement on cotton gauze to accelerate healing in patients with bedsores and ulcers is the ultimate goal of this work. The paper shows how cotton gauze can be modified to reduce the activity of a destructive enzyme found to keep chronic wounds from healing. The destructive enzyme is human neutrophil elastase. High levels of elastase in the non-healing wound break down the recruitment of new tissue necessary for healing to take place. The addition of intelligent cotton-based wound dressings to the market would boost cottons share in the rapidly growing field of high tech wound care, and aid both the consumer and the cotton farmer by providing an economic value-added product. Technical Abstract: The research and development of chronic wound dressings, which possess a mechanism-based mode of action, has entered a new level of understanding in recent years based on improved definition of the biochemical events associated with pathogenesis of the chronic wound. Recently, the molecular moles of action have been investigated for skin substitutes, interactive biomaterials and some traditional material designs as balancing the biochemical events of inflammation in the chronic wound to improve healing. The interactive wound dressings have activities including up-regulation of growth factors and cytokines and down-regulation of destructive proteolysis. Carbohydrate-based wound dressings have received increased attention for their molecular interactive properties with chronic and burn wounds. Traditionally, the use of carbohydrate-based wound dressings including cotton, xerogels, charcoal cloth, alginates, chitosan and hydrogels, have afforded properties such as absorbency, ease of application and removal, bacterial protection, fluid balance, occlusion, and elasticity. Recent efforts in our lab have been underway to design carbohydrate dressings that are interactive cotton dressings as an approach to regulating destructive proteolysis in the non-healing wound. Elastase is a serine protease that has been associated with a variety of inflammatory diseases, and has been implicated as a destructive proteolysis in the non-healing wound. Elastase is a serine protease that has been associated with a variety of inflammatory diseases, and has been implicated as a destructive protease that impedes wound healing. The presence of elevated levels of elastase in non-healing wounds has been associated with the degradation of important growth factors and fibronectin necessary for wound healing. Focus will be given to the design, preparation, and assessment of a type of cotton-based interactive wound dressing designed to intervene in the pathophysiology of the chronic wound through protease sequestration. |
