Thrombin-Anchored Bacterial Cellulose Dressing for Advanced Burn Wound Care

In burn wound surgery, commercially available dressings often lack the necessary hemostatic properties required to effectively manage hemorrhage during critical procedures, such as tangential excision of eschar. To address this limitation, a thrombin-anchored bacterial cellulose (T-BC) dressing is developed that combines the biocompatibility of bacterial cellulose (BC) with the hemostatic efficacy of a recombinant thrombin-cellulose binding domain (CBD) fusion protein. The CBD facilitates stable thrombin anchoring within the BC matrix, enhancing hemostasis, and promoting wound healing. The recombinant thrombin retains enzymatic activity comparable to human thrombin, enabling rapid hemostasis in rat liver models within 60 s. Extensive testing across cellular, blood, and rat models has substantiated the dressing's exceptional biocompatibility, potent bleeding control, and accelerated wound repair, particularly in deep partial-thickness burn wound models. By seamlessly integrating thrombin into the BC matrix, the T-BC dressing offers an innovative and effective solution for burn wound care, significantly improving both healing speed and clinical outcomes.