Biodegradable wound dressings that dissolve as wounds heal
Bioresorbable Polythioketal Urethane Wound Dressings
A new biodegradable dressing that breaks down in response to the body's healing signals to help people with chronic diabetic skin wounds.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11166326 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project is creating a synthetic, highly porous foam dressing that responds to reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by healing cells so the material degrades as new tissue grows. The dressing is built from ROS-sensitive polythioketal (PTK) components combined into a polyurethane foam that allows cell infiltration without producing acidic breakdown products. Researchers will test how well the foam supports tissue regrowth and times its breakdown to match healing, using laboratory and preclinical models with an eye toward clinical use. The aim is a resorbable scaffold that reduces prolonged wound exposure, infection risk, and the need for hospital care or amputations in people with diabetic wounds.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with diabetes who have chronic, non-healing skin wounds or diabetic foot ulcers that have not healed with standard care.
Not a fit: People with small acute cuts that normally heal on their own or patients whose wounds are caused primarily by severe vascular insufficiency or uncontrolled systemic illness may not benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this dressing could speed healing of chronic diabetic wounds and lower the chance of infection, hospitalization, or amputation.
How similar studies have performed: Other resorbable scaffold approaches have shown promise in lab and animal studies, but ROS-degradable polythioketal polyurethane foams are a newer approach with limited human data so far.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, UNITED STATES
- Vanderbilt University — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Duvall, Craig Lewis — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Duvall, Craig Lewis
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.