Surface Protection of Exposed Biological Tissues

Abstract

The invention relates to a biodegradable barrier network comprising at least two polypeptides, one being anionic and the other one cationic. The invention also relates to applicators and kits comprising components to be used to create said biodegradable barrier network. The invention also relates to the use of said applicator or kit in therapy, such as in medicine, veterinary medicine and horticulture.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION[0001]The invention relates to a biodegradable barrier network comprising two polypeptides, one being anionic and the other one cationic. The invention also relates to applicators and kits comprising components to be used to create said biodegradable barrier network. The invention also relates to the use of said applicator or kit in therapy, such as in medicine, veterinary medicine and horticulture.BACKGROUND OF INVENTION[0002]Tissue surfaces need protection depending on the type and extent of chemical exposure and wearing that they normally are subjected to. All cells in the body are thus covered by a cell membrane bilayer that mainly consists of lipids and proteins. Epithelial surfaces, which connect to the exterior world; the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and to some extent also the genitourinary tracts, are exposed to a rather harsh environment. These epithelial surfaces are further covered by a mucus layer having viscoelastic and pronounced protecting propert...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020]The invention relates to a new invented biodegradable barrier network, which is non-toxic, which is possible to produce at low cost, biodegradable and non-alllergenic. Such a network enables the possibility to treat postsurgical adhesions in an efficient way.

Problems solved by technology

Tissues such as synovia and mesothelium, on the other hand, are not protected by mucus since they are not exposed to drastic condition of the same magnitude.

This makes the synovia and mesothelium tissue especially vulnerable to infection and trauma.

When such a membrane is exposed to a physical, chemical or microbial challenge, many potent substances, which are harmful to the membrane, are often released in response thereto.

The structure and function of the membrane is consequently easily destroyed in connection with trauma, ischemia, and infection.

Surgical operations, infection or inflammation in those parts of the body, which are coated with serous or synovial membranes, can result in adhesive inflammation regardless of the size of the affected area.

However, the obtained postsurgical adhesions are the result of a natural wound healing response of tissue damage occurring during surgery.

Likewise, a number of methods for limiting the formation of surgical adhesion have been studied with some encouraging but often ambiguous results.

However, most efforts made to avoid or reduce postoperative peritoneal adhesions have finally been abandoned.

However, the major disadvantage of these polymers, when used for reducing for example peritoneal adhesions as protective coatings during surgery or surface separation agents after surgery, is that they do not significantly reduce adhesions because of their short residence time in the peritoneal cavity.

The result is that subsequent surgeries have to be performed on the patient.

However, hyaluronic acid is isolated from cock's crests and is thus very expensive as well as potentially allergenic even in small quantities and even more for large surfaces such as the peritoneum which has an area of about two m2.

However, there is still no definite conclusion as to what the most important property is in order to obtain good bioadhesion to the wall of the gastrointestinal tract.

A main drawback of both these cationic molecules is that they exhibit toxic effects.