Smart dressing to treat chronic wounds

Elisabeth Engel López

Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Spain

Research

Dermoglass is a novel and biodegradable nanotechnology-based wound dressing that is able to stimulate the re-vascularisation of the affected area. The restored blood supply promotes the arrival of oxygen, nutrients and new cells, leading to the repair of damaged tissue and healed wounds.

Aim

To safely improve the effectiveness of current treatments, thereby reducing time and costs.

Problem to Solve

Ulcers are lesions generated by epithelial damage caused by a vascular pathological process. These are painful wounds with a high recurrence rate. They interfere with mobility and have a chronic evolution, with little or no tendency to spontaneous heal. Based on the world’s population of seven billion people, between 13 and 23 million people suffer from chronic wounds.

Chronic ulcers are a huge burden to the national healthcare systems (about 5 % of the EU healthcare budget).

A significant portion of the resources devoted to chronic ulcers care is wasted because current treatments are inefficient since they address chronic wound complications but do not directly promote healing.

The total number of healed ulcers is estimated at only 69 % with 28-29 weeks of treatment. Moreover, up to 22 % of ulcers deteriorate, despite the treatment. In the case of diabetic foot ulcers, the rate of recurrence can reach 60 %.

Innovation

DERMOGLASS wound dressing is a composite of nanoparticles embedded in nanofibers.

Dermoglass targets the main cause of ulcer chronification—impaired vascularisation. Recent in vivo PoC efficacy results have shown that it is more effective than existing treatments.

It promotes healthy and differentiated skin formation as well as revascularisation of the wound. Therefore it is expected to lower the risk of recurrence.

Improved healing rates are expected to reduce the need for frequent medical supervision. Dermoglass dressings can be self-applied on ulcers that are in the advanced process of healing.

Level of Innovation

Recent meta-analysis has concluded that there is no evidence that any existing dressing is more effective in healing ulcers than the others. In contrast, we have encouraging data from a diabetic mice model that shows higher Dermoglass efficacy compared to a comercial widely used advanced dressing. Dermoglass technology combines different material-based technologies in order to create smart materials that are able to modify the physiological conditions of the damaged area to enhance angiogenesis and promote cell recruitment.