Therapeutic Hydrogel Microneedle Patch for Burn Wound Field Care

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Wound Healing Research
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Current battlefield burn wound management relies on dry sterile gauze, offering limited therapeutic benefits.
• Existing standard care (SOC) primarily manages exudate and provides a barrier, but does not actively promote healing.
• There is a critical need for advanced wound care solutions at the point of injury (POI) for combat casualties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel therapeutic microneedle patch (THMP) for stabilizing and treating battlefield burn wounds.
• To incorporate agents mitigating key impediments to burn wound healing within the microneedle patch.
• To assess the efficacy of THMNPs against military standard of care treatments in a preclinical model.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and characterization of hydrogel microneedle patches (MNPs) loaded with ibuprofen (IBU), deferoxamine (DFO), and azithromycin (AZ).
• In vitro assessment of THMNP non-cytotoxicity.
• In vivo evaluation in a porcine model of deep partial-thickness contact burn injury, comparing THMNPs to unloaded MNPs and standard dressings over 28 days.

Main Results:

• THMNPs demonstrated confirmed non-cytotoxicity in vitro.
• In vivo studies showed THMNPs reduced burn progression, enhanced re-epithelialization, and decreased inflammation compared to controls.
• The therapeutic microneedle patches were found applicable for battlefield burn wound care.

Conclusions:

• Therapeutic hydrogel microneedle patches offer a promising advanced treatment modality for battlefield burn injuries.
• The combination of anti-inflammatory, neovascularization-supporting, and antimicrobial agents in a MNP format addresses critical healing challenges.
• THMNPs represent a potential advancement over current standard of care for point-of-injury burn management.