Project title: Biopolymer structures obtained by plasma treatment for wounds healing – BIOPLASM
Project coordinator: ICECHIM, dr. eng. Denis Mihaela Panaitescu
Project code: PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2021-2559
Project number: 632 PED/2022
Implementation period: 21.06.2022 – 20.06.2024
Funding: The Executive Unit for the Financing of Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation (UEFISCDI)
Project summary:
Chronic wounds, severe burns or infected wounds are among the most painful diseases that require long-term expensive treatment. Currently, the clinical management of chronic wounds is difficult due to the increasing risk of infection with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the shortcomings of current therapies. A novel technology for the manufacture of bilayer wound dressings, based on nanocellulose and cold plasma processing, will be developed in BIOPLASM project. The scope of the project is to obtain effective dressings for the treatment of infected wounds by developing antibacterial nanocellulose nanocarriers deposited on an aliphatic polyester substrate. The use of cold plasma for nanocellulose and biopolymers processing in view of medical application is an effervescent field, with important benefits related
to eco-friendliness, lack of secondary or waste products, sterilization and large functionalization capabilities. Cold plasma treatment of liquid
suspensions of nanocellulose is a concept developed by ICECHIM and INFLPR in a previous project. This will serve as a starting point together with the functionalization and processing of nanocellulose and aliphatic polyesters for building a new technological approach to fabricate bilayer wound dressings. The new technology will be validated by in vitro and in vivo studies. The project will be implemented by a skilled group of researchers from ICECHIM, INFLPR and Cantacuzino Institute.
The general objective of BIOPLASM project is the development and lab-validation of a new technology for the manufacture of bilayer wound
dressings based on nanocellulose and cold plasma processing.
The project has the following specific objectives:
– Designing new nanocarriers based on nanocellulose (NC);
– Synthesis of NC carrying different antibacterial agents and testing new technological routes for the deposition of nanocarriers on plasma activated
biopolymer substrate;
– Characterization of structure and morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of the obtained layered structures;
– Characterization of in vitro cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity of layered wound dressings; selection of the optimum technological solution;
– Demonstrating the performance and validation of the new technology for manufacturing bilayer wound dressings.
The outcome of the project is an innovative technology to obtain bilayer dressings for the therapy of infected wounds.
The most important results: antibacterial nanocarriers based on modified nanocellulose and bilayer dressings with antimicrobial activity. The results will be disseminated by communications at national and international conferences, one workshop and five papers.
Phase I:
Published papers:
- Denis Mihaela Panaitescu, Violeta Melinte, Adriana Nicoleta Frone, Cristian Andi Nicolae, Augusta Raluca Gabor, Luiza Capra, Influence of biobased polyurethane structure on thermal and mechanical properties of poly(3- hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) – polyurethane blends, Journal of polymers and the environment 2022, accepted for publication.
Communications:
- Sorin Vizireanu, Veronica Satulu, Cristian Stancu, Anca Bonciu, Gheorghe Dinescu, Denis Panaitescu, Adriana Frone, Valentin Raditoiu, Cristian Nicolae, Catalina Usurelu, Cold plasma activation of biopolymers for wound healing dressings, 22nd Romanian International Conference on Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, RICCCE 22, Sinaia, 7-9 september 2022 (poster).
- Cătălina-Diana Uşurelu, Adriana Nicoleta Frone, Cristian Andi Nicolae, Augusta Raluca gabor, Sorin Vizireanu, Veronica Satulu, Cristian Stancu, Sava Mircea Teodorescu, Denis Mihaela Panaitescu, A parallel between plasma irradiation of nanocellulose water suspensions and silane grafting as surface treatments of nanocellulose, The 7th International Colloquium on “Physics of Materials”, PM-7, Bucharest, 10-11 november 2022 (poster).
Coordinator:
National Institute for Research & Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry – ICECHIM
Partners:
National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics – INFLPR RA
Cantacuzino National Military Medical Institute for Research and Development
ICECHIM – Dr. eng. Denis Mihaela Panaitescu
