Quadruple-Action Hydrogel Microbeads for Primary Management of Burn Wounds

Exogenous topical NO has been demonstrated as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent (Ghaffari, 2006), and is capable of providing numerous wound healing benefits if delivered at the proper concentrations (Shekhter, 2005). Practical deployment of NO however is missing due to the lack of products that stably sequester and controllably deliver NO at therapeutically relevant levels, especially upon application of an external trigger. This proposal seeks to develop a stable molecular NO storage and delivery modality using micropowder hydrogel bead technology to transition to the battlefield and/or supporting treatment centers. Specifically, the synthesis of a polymeric NO solid-state material using an inexpensive and biocompatible polymer is proposed. This solid-state NO depot will have a water-triggered NO release ability. The envisioned end-product has quadruple activity: it delivers a large bolus of NO for instant wound disinfection; it forms a semi-permeable barrier that prevents new colonizing pathogens access to the wound; it exhibits partial hemostatic activity, and; it promotes wound healing due to sustained release of low levels of NO while allowing oxygen to enter the wound bed and moisture vapor to exit. Use of this material will be convenient and will allow point-of-injury care, simply requiring a mere rip-and-apply or rip-mix-with-water-and-apply administration protocol.