SBIR-STTR Award

With the advent of improved body armor and vehicles and the enemy?s use of the improved explosion device (IED) in the most recent conflicts, blast injuries and related burns to the face have become more and more common among our Wounded Warriors. Pathological scarring, which often results in contracture, tends to be more prevalent in these burn cases due to the traumatic nature of the IED injury. The specialized care, rehabilitation, and reconstructive surgery required for these injuries results in significant degradation of quality of life for facial burn victims. The aim of this proposed project is to conduct a proof of concept for an innovative 3D printed halofuginone eluding keratin-based wound dressing that could potentially improve healing rates and reduce scarring and contracture in our burned Wounded Warriors. The proposed dressing will be formulated and tested for mechanical properties and drug delivery capabilities. It will then be tested in vitro for treatment of wound contracture. In the potential Phase II follow-on project, a full prototype of the dressing would be constructed, and efficacy would be tested in a porcine burn model.

Keywords:
Facial Burn, Keratin, Halofuginone, Scar Prevention, Scar Contracture, Biomaterial-Based Dressing, Drug Delivery, Face Mask

Burn injuries, particularly those to the face, present a number of functional and psychological challenges that arise from scarring and related contracture. A major goal of trauma and burn surgeons is to prevent scarring and improve grafting technologies given the complexity of facial topography. This project seeks to optimize and finalize a prototype of a 3D printed keratin facemask capable of delivering drugs capable of inhibiting scar formation. This will be accomplished by first optimizing the formulation through a series of in vitro tests, screening optimized formulations in a small thermal burn wound model in pigs, and confirming efficacy of the selected construct in a large thermal burn wound model in pigs. Additionally, a facemask prototype will be printed, and storage parameters will be determined. The resulting construct will be able to act as a long-term primary burn wound dressing that delivers a drug to prevent scarring as it naturally degrades, reducing the need for full, painful dressing changes and the risk of scarring and contracture in our Wounded Warriors.