Unmet Need:
Third-degree burns involve damage to both the epidermal and dermal layers and may also entail damage to underlying muscles, bones, and tendons. Such burns heal with thick scars, which result in contractures that distort the surrounding tissue. Deep third-degree burns usually require skin grafting to achieve wound closure, but the cosmetic and functional results are less than optimal, as the grafted skin is thin and vulnerable to reinjury. Neovascularization, or angiogenesis, is a critical determinant of the wound healing outcomes for deep burn injuries. Newly formed blood vessels participate, providing nutrition and oxygen to growing tissues. More dermal blood flow is lost in severe burn wounds than in superficial burns.
Technology Overview:
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed a series of dextran-based macromers and demonstrated that the incorporation of amine groups into the dextran backbone results in a hydrogel with properties that support angiogenesis. To expedite neovascularization, they have decreased crosslinking density by reducing the degree of substitution of crosslinking groups, thereby promoting angiogenesis in the hydrogels. In the current study, this modified dextran hydrogel enhances the healing of third-degree burn wounds through a murine burn model. Compared to Integra, the state-of-the-art dressing used in clinics, dextran hydrogels accelerate neutrophil penetration and hydrogel digestion, enabling expedited angiogenesis followed by complete skin regeneration with skin appendages
