Modern Approaches in Wounds Management.

Wound management represents a well-known continuous challenge and concern of the global healthcare systems worldwide. The challenge is on the one hand related to the accurate diagnosis, and on the other hand to establishing an effective treatment plan and choosing appropriate wound care products in order to maximize the healing outcome and minimize the financial cost. The market of wound dressings is a dynamic field which grows and evolves continuously as a result of extensive research on developing versatile formulations with innovative properties. Hydrogels are one of the most attractive wound care products which, in many aspects, are considered ideal for wound treatment and are widely exploited for extension of their advantages in healing process. Smart hydrogels (SHs) offer the opportunities of the modulation physico-chemical properties of hydrogels in response to external stimuli (light, pressure, pH variations, magnetic/electric field, etc.) in order to achieve innovative behavior of their three-dimensional matrix (gel-sol transitions, self-healing and self-adapting abilities, controlled release of drugs). The SHs response to different triggers depends on their composition, cross-linking method, and manufacturing process approach. Both native or functionalized natural and synthetic polymers may be used to develop stimuli-responsive matrices, while the mandatory characteristics of hydrogels (biocompatibility, water permeability, bioadhesion) are preserved. In this review, we briefly present the physiopathology and healing mechanisms of chronic wounds, as well as current therapeutic approaches. The rational of using traditional hydrogels and SHs in wound healing, as well as the current research directions for developing SHs with innovative features, are addressed and discussed along with their limitations and perspectives in industrial-scale manufacturing.

Immunoglobulin G immobilization on PVDF surface.

Immobilization of antibody molecules onto hydrophobic polymeric surfaces with disordered orientation is something unwanted in many applications. To overcome this drawback, controlled immunoglobulin G (IgG) immobilization onto poly(vinylidene fluoride) surface was investigated in this paper. A two-step process involving radiofrequency plasma pretreatment for polymer surface functionalization, followed by coupling reaction was developed, after which immunoglobulin G was immobilized onto the surface directly or via protein-A. IR and XPS data proved that the process is more efficient when the radiofrequency plasma pretreatment was performed using N2 and N2/H2 as discharge gases. NIR-CI, AFM and XPS surface evaluation revealed that immobilization of IgG onto N2/H2 plasma-treated PVDF via grafted protein-A was achieved with an ends-on orientation, leaving available the antigen binding sites of IgG. This procedure could be a promising route for the preparation of oriented IgG assembly onto PVDF, useful in biomedical, membranes or sensors applications. QCM results showed a better antibody-antigen interaction when IgG immobilization onto PVDF substrate is mediated by protein A.