Peptide based wound dressing for prevention and management of infected wounds

Project Summary
The proposed SBIR Phase I research effort will provide foundational data for the development and
commercialization of a novel wound dressing for prevention and treatment of infected skin wounds The design
of the dressing will make use of a commonly used polyurethane foam base material and incorporation of
advanced peptides with potent anti biofilm activity against a panel of wound pathogens The lead peptides
selected for this effort are synthetic variants of the host defense peptides HDPs and have been shown to
eradicate pre existing biofilms of clinically relevant Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria including the
ESKAPE pathogens Furthermore these peptides possess immunomodulatory properties through suppression
of pro inflammatory cytokines induced by bacterial infection and recruitment of phagocytic cells While most of
the HDPs and their synthetic variants are being investigated for their potent microbicidal properties we believe
that harnessing their versatile immunomodulatory activity in the form of a wound dressing is of particular
significance Incorporation of these peptides within a wound dressing enables a multifaceted approach to
treatment of wounds where a single dressing can provide protection against microbial infection
management of pre existing infections and augmentation of the natural wound healing process
iFyber has identified a significant niche in the wound care market that the current proposed technology can
address that is a product that can effectively manage wound infections and also enhance the natural process
of wound healing To achieve this goal iFyber has established a collaboration with Dr Robert E W Hancock
a leader in the field of antimicrobial peptide research and is eliciting support from our ongoing collaborator
Prof Stephen Davis from the University of Miami a leader in the wound healing field Altogether coupled with
iFyber s commercialization experiences we believe we have as strong team to support the advancement of the
proposed technology
Completion of the proposed Phase I efforts will provide a series of candidate peptide based wound dressings
that will provide a basis for the Phase II efforts towards development of the dressing Phase I studies are
designed to provide insight into dressing efficacy with respect to management of microbial colonization and
wound infection and the effects the dressing application has on the wound healing process The studies will
provide crucial data regarding dressing optimization which will be further advanced in Phase II towards a
peptide based wound care product with emphasis on the regulatory pathway and establishing design inputs
under design control
Within this Phase I effort we will develop a series of peptide based prototype dressings using polyurethane
foam as a base dressing The polyurethane foam will also be plasma modified to enhance non covalent
binding of the peptides to the foam and increase the loading of the active components The loading and
release profiles of the peptides from the dressings will be evaluated and correlated with antimicrobial efficacy
against a panel of microbial pathogens The prototype dressings will also be evaluated for their anti biofilm
efficacy in an ex vivo anti biofilm porcine skin model against single species and polymicrobial biofilms and in
a human skin equivalent HSE models The HSE models will also be used to provide additional information
regarding immunomodulatory properties of the prototype dressings Finally based on the information from
previous tasks prototype dressings will be selected for evaluation of efficacy in biofilm eradication using an
in vivo porcine wound model Collectively these preliminary data will serve as a guide for the design of the
Phase II efforts and advancement of the technology Project Narrative
Wound infection is one of the most important factors impeding wound healing in particular due to formation of
microbial colonies called biofilms The inherent tolerance of biofilms to classical anti infectious treatments
including systemic and topical antibiotics and general topical biocides significantly impairs the wound healing
process and prolongs the patient recovery time The goal of the current SBIR Phase I research effort is to develop
prototype dressings that will assist the wound healing process on two fronts inhibiting and managing
microbial colonization and promoting the natural wound healing process This dual approach was designed
to enhance treatment efficacy and thus facilitate quicker patient recovery and improve outcomes