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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Cotton Chemistry and Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #141543
Title: SEQUESTRATION AND CONTROLLED RELEASE ISSUES IN THE DESIGN AND PREPARATION OF PROTEASE-LOWERING COTTON FIBERS FOR CHRONIC WOUNDS

Author
item Edwards, Judson - Vince
item YAGER, DORNE - MCV-VCU, RICHMOND, VA
item COHEN, I - MCV-VCU, RICHMOND, VA
item GOHEEN, STEVE - PNNL, RICHLAND, WA

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/25/2003
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The design of cotton wound dressing fibers for modulation of elastase levels has been approached with two mechanisms in mind. One approach is to sequester the protease from the wound environment, and a second is to release protease inhibitors into the chronic wound environment. Elastase and matrix metalloproteases, which are elevated in non-healing wounds and burn wounds, have been shown to degrade cytokine growth factors, fibronectin, and endogenous levels of protease inhibitors. Neutralization of the high levels of proteases found in the chronic wound by rationally designed wound dressings using one of these approaches has been our goal. Elastase-sequestering wound dressings have been developed based on a molecular design that addresses both the active site binding and the positively charged character of elastase. The elastase-sequestering activity of a variety of electrophilic and anionically derivatized fibers was studied. The reduction of elastase activity in chronic wound fluid was found to work best with the application of electrophilic and anionic character combined in a single cotton wound dressing. The effect of the fiber modifications on metalloprotease uptake and inhibition will also be discussed.