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WOUNDCARE WISDOM

in a “sterile” environment, writes Dr. psoriasis is, the more likely the
17 Morhenn, the innate immune system individual will develop MS,” she writes.
is not activated, and the later stages
of the body leads to healing of the of wound healing, proliferation, and TNFα inhibitors have been used
psoriatic plaques in this area while maturation not initiated. “The defect to improve psoriasis, although
the plaques on the contralateral in the wound healing response in MS sometimes they can induce the
side do not improve. Furthermore, could also relate to a failure in the disease, as well as worsen the
injecting Botox, a medication that switch of the resident macrophages symptoms of MS or even induce MS,
blocks the ACh-R, into a psoriatic from the inflammatory to the anti- Dr. Morhenn adds.
plaque results in clearing of only that inflammatory phenotype,” she adds.
lesion.” “By contrast, in areas of the skin that “The many similarities in the
express the psoriatic phenotype, one pathophysiology documented in
The role of wound healing in ms of the antimicrobial peptides, LL-37, psoriasis and MS, as well as in wound
is highly expressed, and, therefore, healing, suggest that further basic
MS is characterized by decreasing the wound healing response would research in these two autoimmune
motor strength, numbness and likely be initiated.” diseases may lead to a better
does not affect the skin, except for understanding of wound healing.
pruritus. There is clearly a relationship Furthermore, these insights may,
between the two conditions, she in turn, suggest novel therapies for
Nitric oxide release by emphasizes. psoriasis and MS,” Dr. Morhenn
oligodendrocyte precursor cells concludes.
causes differentiation, but does “Individuals with psoriasis have a
not lead to remyelination. Since significantly higher risk of developing
damage to the myelin sheath occurs MS and the more severe the

MORE EFFECTIVE HYDROGEL

FOR HEALING WOUNDS

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have created an easy-to-make, low-
cost injectable hydrogel that could help wounds heal faster, especially for patients with
compromised health issues.

Wound healing can be complex and therefore help to speed up the In addition, this new injectable
and challenging, especially when a healing.” formulation allows for the slow
patient has other health obstacles release of protein drugs to aid
that seriously impede the process. In the study, recently published wound healing, such as platelet-
Often injectable hydrogels are in the journal of ACS Applied Bio derived growth factor (PDGF). The
applied to irregular shaped wounds, Materials, the researchers outline researchers compared conventional
like diabetic ulcers, to help form how they made a macroporous nonporous hydrogels with the new
a temporary matrix, or structure, hydrogel by combining readily macroporous hydrogels, and found
to keep the wound stable while available gelatin microgels -- a notable increase in the migration
cells rejuvenate. The caveat is hydrogels that are a few hundred of tissue cells inside the hydrogel,
that current hydrogels are not microns in diameter -- with an which is the hallmark of wound
porous enough and do not allow inexpensive enzyme called healing.
neighboring cells to pass through microbial transglutaminase (mTG).
toward the wound to help it mend. Gelatin was used because it is Along with diabetic ulcers, the
a natural protein derived from macroporous hydrogel could help
“While valuable for helping patients, collagen, a protein found in with other forms of healing on the
current hydrogels have limited connective tissue in the body such skin, cornea, internal organs during
clinical efficacy,” said Kyung Jae as skin. Assembling these tiny surgery and even has military
Jeong, assistant professor of microgels with mTG helped create implications.
chemical engineering at UNH. “We a hydrogel with large enough
discovered a simple solution to pores for the neighboring cells to
make the hydrogels more porous move into the wound for repair.

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