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Accelerating Oral Wound Healing Using Bilayer Biomaterial Delivery of FTY720 Immunotherapy
Afra I Toma1,2, Daniel Shah1, Daniela Roth3
1Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|October 10, 2024
Summary
This study repurposed FTY720, an immunomodulatory drug, using a novel biomaterial system to promote healing of oronasal fistulas (ONF). The treatment successfully closed fistulas in mice, offering a promising alternative for pediatric oral wound healing.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Biomaterials Science
- Immunology
Background:
- Orofacial clefts are common congenital anomalies.
- Oronasal fistulas (ONF) can result from cleft palate repair complications.
- Current ONF treatments like allografts carry risks of infection and rejection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of an immunoregenerative therapy for ONF repair.
- To repurpose the FDA-approved drug FTY720 for enhanced wound healing.
- To develop a novel bilayer biomaterial system for controlled drug delivery.
Main Methods:
- Engineered a bilayer biomaterial system using Tegaderm for FTY720-nanofiber scaffold delivery.
- Optimized drug release kinetics for sustained delivery up to 7 days.
- Evaluated immunophenotypic changes and histological outcomes in a mouse ONF model.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated controlled drug release and safe transdermal absorption.
- Confirmed a shift towards pro-regenerative phenotypes in recruited immune cells.
- Achieved significant ONF closure in mice within 7 days of treatment.
Conclusions:
- FTY720-loaded nanofiber scaffolds delivered via a bilayer system effectively promote ONF healing.
- Immunomodulatory strategies show significant potential for improving oral wound healing outcomes.
- This approach may lead to improved treatments for pediatric patients with oronasal fistulas.
