Date of Award
2017
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Abstract
Wound care affects millions of people worldwide each year, and the need for an effective wound therapy still exists. The aim of this study was to characterize a novel, aerated biopolymer, fibrin foam, which is generated through a patented mixing process using a commercially-available fibrin sealant. This research developed a distinct preparation of fibrin foam that creates a porous environment with improved wound healing properties. With this fibrin foam, characterization assessments were performed, including evaluation of mixing parameters, biocompatibility, and biomechanical strengths.
Fibrin foam is created by performing six passes through a mixing device, which generates a foam matrix with a mean pore size of 155 micrometers. Cellular viability assays utilizing lactate dehydrogenase and AlamarBlue reagents demonstrated that primary endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and keratinocytes were all viable and metabolically active on and within fibrin foam. Though fibrin foam produced slightly weaker tensile and wound closure strengths from a biomechanical standpoint compared to the fibrin sealant, the aeration process provides additional structural properties. These include higher fluid permeability and greater porosity.
In addition to characterizing the biodegradable fibrin foam, efficacy was assessed in an in vivo wound healing model. For this, a biopsy punch model was utilized whereby full-thickness dorsal skin wounds were generated in mice. The wounds were treated with fibrin foam, and wounds were evaluated 7 and 14 days post-surgery. The fibrin foam-treated wounds showed significantly superior wound closure compared to the other treatments. In summary, this study characterized an aerated fibrin preparation generated from a commercially-available fibrin sealant and demonstrated its superior efficacy as a novel wound therapy.
Recommended Citation
Marek, Adam Robert, "Characterization of the Effect of Aeration on a Commercially Available Fibrin Sealant for Use in Wound Therapy" (2017). Dissertations. 2595.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/2595
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2017 Adam Robert Marek
