###Breakfast saves lives: development of novel v(egg)etarian and fruit-derived biological wound dressings
Project ID: 2228bd1041 (You will need this ID for your application)
Research Theme: Healthcare Technologies
UCL Lead department: Eastman Dental Institute
Lead Supervisor: David Chau
Project Summary:
Damage or degeneration of any (biological) membrane is often as a consequence of disease or traumatic injury. Current therapeutic treatments suffer from limitations ranging from cosmetic impact, patient compliance, tissue availability and negative biological/tissue/patient integration. In addition, there is increasing demand for a low cost, bioactive, therapeutic bandage that can also deliver a therapeutic payload, or induce a positive/enhanced microenvironment. The eggshell membrane (ESM) as well as a number of fruit-based membranes have been proposed to have potential clinical and therapeutic applications due to their innate mechanical and biological properties. Moreover, it has been suggested that these could also be further enhanced by increasing their mechanical/physical properties, incorporating drugs within, (chemical) surface modification, and/or “patching” of individual fragments to increase their translational-ability to number of additional areas such as homecare, food processing, and environmental sustainability.
To date, existing research has documented an optimised and reproducible protocol that can be used to extract the ESM from eggs, without comprising its innate structure or physico-chemical characteristics, resulting in the characterisation of a novel biomaterial. A parallel study is proposed for the shortlisted fruit membranes using similar protocols and techniques (i.e. SEM, DMA, FTIR, WCA, texture analyses). The biocompatibility and interaction of these materials with cells/tissues will also be investigated, alongside immunological responses. Moreover, the project aims to specifically enhance the membranes by incorporating a therapeutic compound within it (via a biodegradable, polymer-based microparticulate system) as well as allowing the possibility of developing a “supersized” or “layered” constructs. Ultimately, the project will involve techniques and instruments focussing on material characterisation/development and drug delivery modalities (Eastman), advanced (in vivo) imaging and diagnosis (CABI) as well as interaction with the botanical experts (Royal Botanical/Kew Gardens).