IIT Bombay researchers develop new-age bandages to improve wound healing

Prof. Prakriti Tayalia and her team from IIT Bombay have developed an affordable bilayered bandage with antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The top layer consists of polycaprolactone (a biodegradable polyester) and chitosan (a sugar found in the outer skeleton of shellfishes).

IIT Bombay researchers develop new-age bandages to improve wound healing

A team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has come up with a new-age bandage or dermal patch that combines natural healing agents with polymers in bilayer structure for improved wound healing. Wound dressings have evolved considerably from the herbal concoctions and magical potions that were popularly accepted as therapy, until the 19th century. Today, wound care is no longer just using a piece of gauze dipped in Dettol.

With bioactive agents, nanoparticles, antioxidant agents, growth factors, polymers and more, the science of wound healing is advancing continually, IIT Bombay said in a release.

Prof. Prakriti Tayalia and her team from IIT Bombay have developed an affordable bilayered bandage with antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The top layer consists of polycaprolactone (a biodegradable polyester) and chitosan (a sugar found in the outer skeleton of shellfishes).

The bottom layer is made of polyvinyl alcohol (a water-soluble synthetic polymer) with curcumin (an anti- inflammatory compound found in plants of the turmeric family) nanoparticles and soluble eggshell membrane protein.

The research has been published in the journal ‘Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology, and Medicine’, with the lead author being Dr. Mamatha M Pillai, who is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the lab. There are, currently, more than 3000 different wound healing dressings available in the market, each being appropriate for specific wound types, that is for wounds that are more severe than the average paper cut.

But, even with this plethora of choices, wounds such as venous ulcers, pressure ulcers, burn wounds, and diabetic wounds are challenging to treat. The impediment in the case of chronic and acute wounds that are complex and hence do not progress through a regular sequence of skin repair is the poor antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the dressing leading to drying up of the wounded area and the requirement for frequent change of the dressings.

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