A nanocellulose coating that can reveal early signs of disease without interfering with the treatment process by researchers at Linköping University. Their study, published in Materials Today Bio, is one more step on the way to a new type of wound care.
The skin is the largest part of the human body. Wounds disrupt the normal function of the skin and can take a long time to heal, are very painful for the patient and, in the worst case, lead to death if not treated properly. In addition, difficult-to-heal wounds represent a heavy burden on society, accounting for about half of hospital care costs.
In traditional wound care, dressings are changed regularly, about every two days. To find out if the wound is infected, the caregivers should pick up the clothing and do an examination based on the appearance and examination. It’s a painful process that disrupts wound healing as the scab breaks off repeatedly. The risk of infection increases each time the wound appears.
A new model of wound care
Researchers at Linköping University, together with colleagues from Örebro and Luleå universities, have developed a nanocellulose coating that can reveal early signs of disease without interfering with the treatment process.
“Being able to immediately see if a wound has become infected, without lifting the dressing, paves the way for new types of wound care that can lead to more effective care and improve the lives of patients with difficult-to-heal wounds, and can reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics,” says Daniel Aili, a professor at the Department of Biophysics and Bioengineering at Linköping University.
The clothes are woven with nanocellulose, which prevents bacteria and other microbes from entering. At the same time, the material allows gas and liquid to pass through, which is important for wound healing. The idea is that once it is applied, the garment will stay in place during the healing process. If the wound becomes infected, the coat will show a change in color.
Initial research
An uninfected wound has a pH of around 5.5. When an infection occurs, the wound becomes more acidic and may have a pH of 8 or more. This is because the bacteria in the wound change their environment to suit their best growth environment. A high pH value can be detected in the wound long before any pus, pain or redness, which is the main symptom of infection.
To make the bandage show a high pH value, the researchers used bromothymol blue, BTB, a dye that changes color from yellow to blue when the pH value is greater than 7. In order for BTB to be used in clothing without damaging it, it is applied to a silica material that has pores only a few nanometers in size. Silica materials can be combined with dressing materials without damaging the nanocellulose. The result is a coat that turns blue if infected.
Reduce the use of antibiotics
Antibiotics are often used to spread all over the body. But if the disease is detected at an early stage, local treatment for the wound may be enough. This is why Daniel Aili and his colleagues at Örebro University are also developing vaccines based on lipopeptides that kill all types of bacteria.
“The use of antibiotics makes disease more problematic, because bacteria are becoming more and more resistant to different drugs. If we can attach the antibiotic to the clothes, we reduce the risk of infection and reduce the overuse of antibiotics,” says Daniel Aili.
Daniel Aili says that new dressings and antibacterial agents are part of the development of new types of wound healing and patient care. But since all products intended for use in the medical industry must pass rigorous and expensive tests, he thinks it will take five to ten years before they are there.
Source: Linköping University
