Department of Materials Science & Engineering
Dr. Svetlana Sukhishvili’s team investigated how to build a stimuli-responsive polymeric material that could absorb and release antibiotics when prompted by a physiologically relevant stimulus.
Patients need smarter skin grafts that facilitate healing and minimize infection, especially if they have chronic or slow-healing wounds.
Dr. Svetlana Sukhishvili and her research team, along with Dr. Hongjun Wang, professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, set out to develop such a solution.
Sukhishvili’s team investigated how to build a stimuli-responsive polymeric material that could absorb and release antibiotics when prompted by a physiologically relevant stimulus. They added functional containers, or micelles, on the surface of biodegradable fiber meshes to enhance surface functionality.
Wang and his team studied the material’s interaction with human cells. They found it was not only nontoxic but also enhanced cellular growth and migration due to the surface-bound micelles, which changed the surface topography.
This could be a game-changer for diabetic ulcers and other chronic wounds. The researchers are now working with clinicians to enhance the graft’s real-world applicability for different types of wounds.
Read the original story about Dr. Sukhishvili and her team’s research.
