Treatment of third-degree burns, deep wounds by polymeric nanofibers

Iranian researchers from Amir Kabir University of Technology in association with their colleagues from Iran University of Medical Sciences and Tehran Heart Center succeeded in the production of antimicrobial nanofibrous coatings with the ability to absorb filth and infection. The nanofibrous coating is made of chitosan and polycaprolactone polymers and has a good performance in the treatment of skin injuries such as deep cutting wounds and third degree burns. It has also applications in medical industries and pharmaceutics, specially in the centers for burn injuries. One of the most important issues in the first hours after burning is to control and take out infection and to prevent the entrance of microbes and bacteria into the wound. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to produce biocompatible and antibacterial scaffolds from chitosan biologic polymer and the artificial and biocompatible polymer of polycaprolactone in form of porous nanofibrous coatings with high ability to take out filth and infection. The produced polymer would result in the treatment of various types of deep cutting wounds and third degree burns. The researchers used a mixture of biocompatible artificial polymers of polycaprolactone, chitosan natural polymer, and polyvinyl alcohol artificial polymer. They produced nanofibrous coatings after the preparation of the solution through electrospinning method so they can be used in the treatment of deep cutting wounds and third degree burns in forms of cell-free and scaffold with stem cell. Pathologic studies showed very desirable effectiveness of the scaffold in comparison with the control group. The conservation of the nanometric physical structure during the treatment results in the sorption of more fibroblast into the derma layer, and the more possibility of collagen making leads to the better treatment of the skin. Results of the research have been published in IET Nanobiotechnology, (vol. 1, issue 1, July 2013, pp. 1-9).