Thesis
Development of a transiently pro-inflammatory biomaterial system for non-healing geriatric wound reregulation
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Jun 2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001791
Abstract
Non-healing wounds are highly prevalent in several populations, especially in the elderly community. Non-healing wounds become stunted in one of the 4 phases of wound healing: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, or remodeling. When the immune system stops in the inflammation phase, patients are left with wounds marked by chronic, low inflammation that causes wounds to close poorly or never close at all which can lead to necrosis, amputation and even death. A biomaterial system to break this cycle would be a promising form of treatment. Herein, a biomaterial system is described which modulates a key cell type: the macrophage. Using a pro-inflammatory polymer, alginate, macrophages produce a robust inflammatory response which is necessary to initiate proper wound healing [1]. This hydrogel is coated onto a gelatin scaffold, Surgifoam, which is already commercially available. Surgifoam has been shown to down-regulate the inflammatory phenotype in macrophages. This system allows the wound to experience a heightened inflammatory stimulus that degrades in time for the anti-inflammatory stimulus in the form of a scaffold to facilitate the transition of macrophages from classically activated, M1/"inflammatory", to the alternatively activated, M2a/"reparative", phenotype. This system has been successfully evaluated using a reporter cell line, RAW Blue macrophages by Invivogen, in which an inflammatory response is seen by day 2 of culture and subsequently decreases to baseline inflammation by day 5. The utilization of such a biomaterial system to modulate the macrophage phenotype is a promising method to abrogate the effects of non-healing wounds and provide painless wound closure to the many afflicted communities.
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Details
- Title
- Development of a transiently pro-inflammatory biomaterial system for non-healing geriatric wound reregulation
- Creators
- Emily Valentine
- Contributors
- Kara L. Spiller (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- 68 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991021212314204721