Bringing innovative wound care polymer materials to the market: Challenges, developments, and new trends.

The development of innovative products for treating acute and chronic wounds has become a significant topic in healthcare, resulting in numerous products and innovations over time. The growing number of patients with comorbidities and chronic diseases, which may significantly alter, delay, or inhibit normal wound healing, has introduced considerable new challenges into the wound management scenario. Researchers in academia have quickly identified promising solutions, and many advanced wound healing materials have recently been designed; however, their successful translation to the market remains highly complex and unlikely without the contribution of industry experts. This review article condenses the main aspects of wound healing applications that will serve as a practical guide for researchers working in academia and industry devoted to designing, evaluating, validating, and translating polymer wound care materials to the market. The article highlights the current challenges in wound management, describes the state-of-the-art products already on the market and trending polymer materials, describes the regulation pathways for approval, discusses current wound healing models, and offers a perspective on new technologies that could soon reach consumers. We envision that this comprehensive review will significantly contribute to highlighting the importance of networking and exchanges between academia and healthcare companies. Only through the joint of these two actors, where innovation, manufacturing, regulatory insights, and financial resources act in harmony, can wound care products be developed efficiently to reach patients quickly and affordably.

A Dual Fluorescence-Spin Label Probe for Visualization and Quantification of Target Molecules in Tissue by Multiplexed FLIM-EPR Spectroscopy.

Simultaneous visualization and concentration quantification of molecules in biological tissue is an important though challenging goal. The advantages of fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) for visualization, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy for quantification are complementary. Their combination in a multiplexed approach promises a successful but ambitious strategy because of spin label-mediated fluorescence quenching. Here, we solved this problem and present the molecular design of a dual label (DL) compound comprising a highly fluorescent dye together with an EPR spin probe, which also renders the fluorescence lifetime to be concentration sensitive. The DL can easily be coupled to the biomolecule of choice, enabling in vivo and in vitro applications. This novel approach paves the way for elegant studies ranging from fundamental biological investigations to preclinical drug research, as shown in proof-of-principle penetration experiments in human skin ex vivo.

Polyglycerol-Based Thermoresponsive Nanocapsules Induce Skin Hydration and Serve as a Skin Penetration Enhancer.

The use of penetration enhancers (chemical or physical) has been proven to dramatically improve the penetration of therapeutics. Nevertheless, their use poses great risks, as they can lead to permanent damage of the skin, reduce its barrier efficiency, and result in the intrusion of harmful substances. Among the most used skin penetration enhancers, water is greatly accepted because skin quickly recovers from its exposure. Nanocapsules (NCs) represent a promising combination of the carrier system and penetration enhancer because their water-containing void combined with their polymer-based shell can be used to induce high local skin hydration, while simultaneously aiding the transport of drugs across the skin barrier. In this study, NCs were synthesized with a void core of 100 nm in diameter, a thermoresponsive shell based on different ratios of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) as thermoresponsive polymers, and dendritic polyglycerol as a macromolecular cross-linker. These NCs can shrink or swell upon a thermal trigger, which was used to induce the release of the entrapped water in a controlled fashion. The interactions and effects of thermoresponsive NCs on the stratum corneum of excised human skin were investigated using fluorescence microscopy, high-resolution optical microscopy, and stimulated Raman spectromicroscopy. It could be observed that the thermoresponsive NCs increase the amount of deuterated water that penetrated into the viable epidermis. Moreover, NCs increased the skin penetration of a high-molecular weight dye (Atto Oxa12 NHS ester, MW = 835 g/mol) with respect to formulations in water or 30% DMSO, emphasizing the features of the NCs as a skin penetration enhancer.

Understanding the elusive protein corona of thermoresponsive nanogels.

AIM: We analyzed the protein corona of thermoresponsive, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)- or poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide)-based nanogels. MATERIALS & METHODS: Traces of protein corona detected after incubation in human serum were characterized by proteomics and dynamic light scattering in undiluted serum. RESULTS: Apolipoprotein B-100 and albumin were the main components of the protein coronae. For dendritic polyglycerol-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) nanogels at 37°C, an increase in adsorbed immunoglobulin light chains was detected, followed by partially reversible nanogel aggregation. All nanogels in their hydrophilic state are colloidally stable in serum and bear a dysopsonin-rich protein corona. CONCLUSION: We observed strong changes in NG stability upon slight alterations in the composition of the protein coronae according to nanogel solvation state. Nanogels in their hydrophilic state possess safe protein coronae.