Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 24, 2025
Doxycycline Loaded Collagen-Chitosan Composite Scaffold for the Accelerated Healing of Diabetic Wounds
Published on: August 21, 2021
Chitosan-based multifunctional oxygenating antibiotic hydrogel dressings for managing chronic infection in diabetic
Shahrzad Abri1, Hannah Durr2, Hazel A Barton3
1Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, USA. nl21@uakron.edu.
Abstract:
Current treatment strategies for infection of chronic wounds often result in compromised healing and necrosis due to antibiotic toxicity, and underlying biomarkers affected by treatments are not fully known. Here, a multifunctional dressing was developed leveraging the unique wound-healing properties of chitosan, a natural polysaccharide known for its numerous benefits in wound care. The dressing consists of an oxygenating perfluorocarbon functionalized methacrylic chitosan (MACF) hydrogel incorporated with antibacterial polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB). A non-healing diabetic infected wound model with emerging metabolomics tools was used to explore the anti-infective and wound healing properties of the resultant multifunctional dressing. Direct bacterial bioburden assessment demonstrated superior antibacterial properties of hydrogels over a commercial dressing. However, wound tissue quality analyses confirmed that sustained PHMB for 21 days resulted in tissue necrosis and disturbed healing. Therefore, a follow-up comparative study investigated the best treatment course for antiseptic application ranging from 7 to 21 days, followed by the oxygenating chitosan-based MACF treatment for the remainder of the 21 days. Bacterial counts, tissue assessments, and lipidomics studies showed that 14 days of application of MACF-PHMB dressings followed by 7 days of MACF dressings provides a promising treatment for managing infected non-healing diabetic skin ulcers.
Insights
A novel chitosan-based hydrogel dressing effectively combats chronic wound infections. Optimal treatment involves 14 days of the antibacterial dressing followed by 7 days of the oxygenating dressing for improved diabetic ulcer healing.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Wound Healing Research
- Infectious Disease Management
Background:
- Chronic wound infections pose significant challenges, often leading to impaired healing and necrosis due to antibiotic toxicity.
- Current treatments lack comprehensive understanding of underlying biomarker responses.
- Chitosan, a natural polysaccharide, offers potential benefits for wound care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a multifunctional dressing for infected chronic wounds.
- To investigate the anti-infective and wound-healing properties of a methacrylic chitosan hydrogel functionalized with perfluorocarbon (MACF) and polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB).
- To determine the optimal treatment duration for the multifunctional dressing in a diabetic wound model.
Main Methods:
- Development of an oxygenating MACF hydrogel incorporating PHMB.
- Utilizing a non-healing diabetic infected wound model.
- Assessment of antibacterial efficacy, tissue quality, and lipidomics changes.
- Comparative study of varying antiseptic application durations (7-21 days) followed by MACF treatment.
Main Results:
- The MACF-PHMB hydrogel demonstrated superior antibacterial properties compared to a commercial dressing.
- Sustained PHMB application (21 days) led to tissue necrosis and compromised healing.
- A treatment regimen of 14 days MACF-PHMB followed by 7 days MACF significantly improved wound healing and reduced bacterial load.
- Lipidomics studies supported the efficacy of the optimized treatment course.
Conclusions:
- The developed multifunctional dressing shows promise for treating infected chronic wounds.
- Optimizing the application duration of the antibacterial component is crucial to avoid adverse effects.
- A sequential application of 14 days MACF-PHMB followed by 7 days MACF is a promising strategy for managing infected non-healing diabetic ulcers.
More Related Videos
04:09Prospective, Randomized, and Controlled Study of a Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell Injection for Treating Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Published on: March 3, 2023
06:45Development of a Benchtop Model for Evaluating the Compatibility of Wound Dressing Materials with Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Systems
Published on: May 2, 2025
