Dermal cell interactions with new biomaterials for improved wound healing.

Mölnlycke Health Care is one of the world's leading providers of single-use surgical and wound care products and services to the health care sector. In our wound care division we develop innovative products that minimize the pain and trauma experienced by patients with wounds that need professional care.

At our Wound Division R&D function at HQ in Gothenburg we investigate new therapies and develop new products concepts for wound healing. This work is the subject of patent applications, scientific publications and contributes to new product development.

A collaborative project between Mölnlycke Healthcare, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan and Göteborgs Universitet is using novel materials chemistry to develop a class of materials that can be very specifically tailored to present specific active molecular groups at a surface layer. This technology may be of particular value to stimulate the repair and regeneration of lost or damaged tissue such as skin wounds.

A desired function of end use materials will be in wound healing, specifically in intimate contact with the wound bed. The new materials are expected to support the formation of granulation tissue. Granulation tissue is formed where vascularisation of provisional wound matrix occurs leading to supply of nutrients supporting fibroblasts which populate the matrix and produce extracellular matrix (ECM), primarily collagen.

Aim:
To test the effects of the new materials in stimulating the behaviour and expression of endothelial cells in vitro. Comparisons will be made between test materials and known ECM environments.