Tunable Antimicrobial-Loaded Gellan Hydrogels for Burn Wound Dressings

Overview

The standard practice of treating burn wounds preventatively with broad-spectrum antibiotics contributes to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Exposure to systemic antibiotics also leads to toxicity in unaffected tissues. Using FDA-approved methods, we have developed a gellan hydrogel delivery system with tunable mechanical and drug-release properties for a wide variety of drug types and wound configurations.

Market Opportunity

In the US alone, infections in burn wounds affect approximately 100,000 patients each year and are the leading cause of death in ICUs. Left untreated, sepsis from infected wounds has a mortality rate of 50 percent. The standard practice of treating burn wounds preventatively with broad-spectrum antibiotics contributes to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. Exposure to systemic antibiotics also leads to toxicity in unaffected tissues. The most commonly used topical antibiotic for burn wound infections, silver sulfadiazine, is highly toxic to keratinocytes and fibroblasts, two cell types crucial for healing. Other potential alternative drugs have significantly higher minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Thus, there is a need for a more effective drug delivery system for burn wound infections.

Innovation and Meaningful Advantages

Using FDA-approved materials, we have developed a hydrogel delivery system with tunable mechanical and drug release properties for a wide variety of drug types and wound configurations. Our gellan hydrogels incorporate activated carbon, which improves both drug loading and release. Importantly, the incorporation of drug, such as vancomycin, and activated carbon does not affect gel strength. In delivering both vancomycin and vancomycin-loaded activated carbon, our drug delivery system provides both bulk and sustained release.

Collaboration Opportunity

We are interested in exploring 1) startup opportunities with investors in the drug delivery space; 2) research collaborations with leading pharmaceutical companies; and 3) licensing opportunities for drug delivery companies.

Principal Investigator

Anita Shukla, PhD

Associate Professor of Engineering

Brown University

anita_shukla@brown.edu

https://vivo.brown.edu/display/ashukla

IP Information

US Patent US10,058,506; Issued August 28, 2018

Contact

Melissa Simon, PhD

Director of Business Development, Life Sciences

melissa_j_simon@brown.edu