title: Nanofibrillar cellulose wound dressing in skin graft donor site treatment.
abstract: Although new therapeutic approaches for burn treatment have made progress, there is still need for better methods to enhance wound healing and recovery especially in severely burned patients. Nanofibrillar cellulose (NFC) has gained attention due to its renewable nature, good biocompatibility and excellent physical properties that are of importance for a range of applications in pharmaceutical and biomedical fields. In the present study, we investigated the potential of a wood based NFC wound dressing in a clinical trial on burn patients. Previously, we have investigated NFC as a topical functionalized wound dressing that contributes to improve wound healing in mice.
  
  
  
  Wood based NFC wound dressing was tested in split-thickness skin graft donor site treatment for nine burn patients in clinical trials at Helsinki Burn Centre. NFC dressing was applied to split thickness skin graft donor sites. The dressing gradually dehydrated and attached to donor site during the first days. During the clinical trials, physical and mechanical properties of NFC wound dressing were optimized by changing its composition. From patient 5 forward, NFC dressing was compared to commercial lactocapromer dressing, Suprathel® (PMI Polymedics, Germany).
  
  
  
  Epithelialization of the NFC dressing-covered donor site was faster in comparison to Suprathel®. Healthy epithelialized skin was revealed under the detached NFC dressing. NFC dressing self-detached after 11-21days for patients 1-9, while Suprathel® self-detached after 16-28days for patients 5-9. In comparison studies with patients 5-9, NFC dressing self-detached on average 4days earlier compared with Suprathel®. Lower NFC content in the material was evaluated to influence the enhanced pliability of the dressing and attachment to the wound bed. No allergic reaction or inflammatory response to NFC was observed. NFC dressing did not cause more pain for patients than the traditional methods to treat the skin graft donor sites.
  
  
  
  Based on the preliminary clinical data, NFC dressing seems to be promising for skin graft donor site treatment since it is biocompatible, attaches easily to wound bed, and remains in place until donor site has renewed. It also detaches from the epithelialized skin by itself.
authors: Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki Burn Centre, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Hakkarainen
authors: Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Koivuniemi
authors: UPM-Kymmene Corporation, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kosonen
authors: Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering, Tokyo Women's Medical University (TWINS), Tokyo, Japan.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Escobedo-Lucea
authors: Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering, Tokyo Women's Medical University (TWINS), Tokyo, Japan.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Sanz-Garcia
authors: Helsinki Burn Centre, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Vuola
authors: Helsinki Burn Centre, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Valtonen
authors: Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Tammela
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Engineering Design and Production, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Mäkitie
authors: UPM-Kymmene Corporation, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Luukko
authors: Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. Electronic address: marjo.yliperttula@helsinki.fi.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Yliperttula
authors: Helsinki Burn Centre, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland.
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kavola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001458:Bandages; D002056:Burns / Q000628:therapy*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000254:growth & development; D062326:Re-Epithelialization / Q000187:drug effects; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002482:Cellulose
keywords: Clinical study; Nanocellulose; Nanofibrillated cellulose; Skin graft donor site treatment; Wound dressing; Wound dressing development