title: Poly-N-acetyl glucosamine nanofibers for negative-pressure wound therapies.
abstract: The wound healing promoting effect of negative wound pressure therapies (NPWT) takes place at the wound interface. The use of bioactive substances at this site represents a major research area for the development of future NPWT therapies. To assess wound healing kinetics in pressure ulcers treated by NPWT with or without the use of a thin interface membrane consisting of poly-N-acetyl glucosamine nanofibers (sNAG) a prospective randomized clinical trial was performed. The safety of the combination of NPWT and sNAG was also assessed in patients treated with antiplatelet drugs. In the performed study, the combination of NPWT and sNAG in 10 patients compared to NPWT alone in 10 patients promoted wound healing due to an improved contraction of the wound margins (p = 0.05) without a change in wound epithelization. In 6 patients treated with antiplatelet drugs no increased wound bleeding was observed in patients treated by NPWT and sNAG. In conclusion, the application of thin membranes of sNAG nanofibers at the wound interface using NPWT was safe and augmented the action of NPWT leading to improved wound healing due to a stimulation of wound contraction.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ilario
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fulco
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.|Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Erba
authors.affiliation: Naval Blood Research Laboratory, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Valeri
authors.affiliation: Marine Polymer Technologies Inc., Danvers, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vournakis
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dirk J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Schaefer
mesh_terms: D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054843:Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy; D010781:Photography; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: C113831:poly-N-acetyl glucosamine; D000117:Acetylglucosamine