A pilot trial assessing the feasibility and efficacy of a novel powder for rapid wound healing
Date
2021
Authors
Verly, Myriam
Mason, Emily
Sheikh-Oleslami, Sara
Jalili, Reza
Russ, Breshell
Kilani, Ruhangiz Taghi
Ghahary, Aziz
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
European Burn Journal
Abstract
It is well-understood that wound care poses a significant burden on the healthcare system
and patient well-being. As such, it is imperative to develop efficient methods that facilitate tissue
repair. Our group previously developed a nutritional gel scaffold, proven to accelerate wound repair.
Due to its gel-like properties, this scaffold requires a time-consuming reconstitution, and is optimized
for cavernous wounds. This pilot study examined the feasibility of a powdered form of this scaffold
to accelerate healing of full-thickness wounds, thus broadening the range of applications, while
providing a practical product. Splinted full-thickness wounds were generated on the backs of 6 mice,
and treated with either powder, the original gel scaffold, or no treatment. Feasibility and efficacy
of the powder was assessed through comparison of clinical wound measurements and histological
assessments. There was a significant effect of treatment on rate of epithelialization [H(3) = 8.346,
p = 0.0024] and on days to epithelial closure [H(3) = 8.482, p = 0.0061]. Post hoc analysis revealed
that while requiring no reconstitution and simple to apply, the powder was sufficient to accelerate
epithelialization compared to untreated wounds (p < 0.05). Furthermore, our results suggest that
application of this powder did not alter certain processes associated with healing progress, such as
epidermal thickness and collagen deposition. As such, this powder may provide a novel alternative
to our previously developed gel scaffold by accelerating epithelialization, while providing a practical
product. Future studies necessitate further evaluation of healing measures with a larger sample size.
Description
Keywords
extracellular matrix, collagen, scaffold, wound healing
Citation
Verly, M., Mason, E., Sheikh-Oleslami, S., Jalili, R., Russ, B., Kilani, R. T., & Ghahary, A. (2021). “A pilot trial assessing the feasibility and efficacy of a novel powder for rapid wound healing.” European Burn Journal, 2(4), 238-248. https://doi.org/10.3390/ebj2040018