Oxygen and ROS Delivery for Infected Wound Healing and Future Prospects

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Infectious Diseases
• Wound Healing Research

Background:

• Bacterial infection significantly delays wound healing and contributes to hospital readmissions.
• Antibiotic resistance necessitates improved efficacy of traditional antimicrobials like hydrogen peroxide.
• Solid peroxide compounds offer sustained release of oxygen and reactive oxygen species (ROS) for infection control and wound microenvironment modulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the progress of antimicrobial dressings utilizing solid peroxide-releasing compounds for infected wound treatment.
• To analyze the efficacy of peroxide compounds in accelerating wound healing and controlling infection.
• To discuss challenges and future directions for peroxide-based wound care.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of antimicrobial dressings and solid peroxide compounds.
• Analysis of studies focusing on calcium peroxide (CaO2) loaded biomaterials.
• Evaluation of wound healing improvements attributable to peroxide loading versus complex formulations.

Main Results:

• Calcium peroxide (CaO2) loaded biomaterials are the most studied (90% of studies).
• Reports show an average wound healing improvement of 26 ± 14% with CaO2.
• Peroxide loading itself significantly improved wound healing in 8 out of 17 studies (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Solid peroxide compounds, particularly calcium peroxide, show significant promise for enhancing infected wound healing.
• Controlled release of ROS/oxygen is crucial for efficacy.
• Further research into metal ion roles and translational strategies is needed for market readiness.