Modified wound dressings

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to compounds for the detection of wounds, e.g., chronic wounds or infected wounds, including compositions, substrates, kits, dressing materials, and articles, and systems containing such compounds. Further embodiments relate to methods of using these compositions, kits and systems in diagnostic assays, and in the diagnosis and / or detection of chronic or infected wounds based on enzymatic conversion of specific substrates which are contained in the compositions. Additional embodiments relate to methods of characterizing wounds based on expression of a plurality of markers and using such information to treat, manage, and follow-up patients suffering from chronic or infected wounds.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is the U.S. National Phase entry of International Application No. PCT / US2017 / 024915, filed on Mar. 30, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 315,567, filed Mar. 30, 2016, each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]Embodiments described herein generally relate to wound healing, and in particular to compositions and methods for the detection and treatment of wounds.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]In mammals, dermal injury triggers an organized complex cascade of cellular and biochemical events that result in a healed wound. Wound healing is a complex dynamic process that results in the restoration of anatomic continuity and function: an ideally healed wound is one that has returned to normal anatomic structure, function, and appearance. A typical wound heals via a model consisting of four stages—‘exudative’ phase, proliferative phase, reparati...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The technology described in this patent improves the ability to detect infected and chronic wounds by using specific reagents that detect biomarkers present in these wounds. The detection process involves qualitative or quantitative measurements of signals generated when the probe is acted upon by the marker. The use of multiple detection probes specific for different targets helps to maximize efficiency and accuracy of diagnostic assays while minimizing false positives. The reagents can also be used together with therapeutic molecules to monitor and evaluate treatment and management of chronic wounds.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, chronic and ‘infected” wounds are typically hard to heal.

Patients with chronic wounds require a great deal of care and the wound often leads to a reduction in quality of life; a chronic wound can become a problem that some patients must deal with throughout the rest of their life.

Patient co-morbidities can also have a significant effect on the wound healing process, limiting and even halting the process as well as being contributing factors to the loss of quality of life.

Infection of wounds by bacteria delays the healing process, since bacteria produce enzymes and toxins and also compete for nutrients and oxygen with macrophages and fibroblasts whose activities are essential for the healing of the wound.

The inflammatory phase is particularly important to the wound healing process, wherein biochemical reactions at the wound situs facilitate healing but also cause tissue breakdown due to production of excess proteases.

Although proteases play an important role in breaking down dead tissue, in excess, they also have a detrimental effect on viable tissue, cause additional inflammation.

The release of these proteolytic enzymes, such as matrix metalloproteases (MMP), elastase, and cathepsin G, is often associated with excessive stimulation of neutrophils.

For instance, the extracellular matrix (ECM), a collection of extracellular molecules secreted by cells that provides structural and biochemical support to the surrounding cells, is frequently depleted at the wound site due to excess protease (e.g., MMP) activity and concomitantly due to attenuated fibrinogen levels.

Increased protease activity also leads to degradation of growth factors, thus inhibiting the healing process.

Swabbing of a wound followed by microbiology testing in the hospital laboratory is an option for confirmation of bacterial colonization and identification of the strain in order to prescribe the correct antibiotic course; however, this process is time consuming and labor intensive.

Delay in diagnosis of infection can delay the administration of antibiotics and may increase the risk of developing sepsis.

Additionally, there are few objective techniques for measurement of wound healing.

Images