Work package 2

A wide range of wound dressings are available and the choice of dressings depends very much on the type of wound. The role of the dressing is to protect the wound, keep the wound moist, adsorb wound exudates, and ideally reduce pain and healing time. Wound dressings based on e.g. collagen and hyaluronic acid can promote healing but are expensive and degrade over time, and is as most other state-of-the-art treatments for non-healing wounds also costly. Traditional wound dressings must be frequently changed, causing severe pain, disruption of the healing process and risks of microbial contamination. This constant management of dressing changes imbues significant costs and resource-use for both patients and healthcare providers.

In the HEALiX project, we aim to develop novel wound dressing materials, that provide a moist and protected microenvironment, reducing pain and that stimulate wound healing. The dressingmaterial will be based on a biosynthetic nanocellulose membrane. From both a clinical and health economic perspective, nanocellulose-based wound dressings represent a highly interesting technical development and are an ideal starting point for development of a new generation of multifunctional and cost-effective wound dressings.

References

• Turner, N.J., et al., The Use of Biologic Scaffolds in the Treatment of Chronic Nonhealing Wounds. Adv Wound Care (New Rochelle), 2015. 4(8): p. 490-500.