University offers hope of wound treatment progress

THE UNIVERSITY of Bradford is to lead a major project which will hopefully lead to a “game changer” in the treatment of infected wounds, in particular, it will help people with diabetes.

The work, in collaboration with pharmaceutical giant Unilever and 5D Health Protection Group, will focus on finding ways to break up the natural ‘biofilm’ which bacteria create to protect themselves against things like antibiotics.

Professor Stephen Rimmer, head of chemistry and biosciences, from the University of Bradford, said: “Biofilm is the stuff bacteria make to live in and it protects them against treatments such as antibiotics”.

He added: “Our work will focus on looking at ways to break up that biofilm, essentially to make them more exposed so they are then more susceptible to drugs used to kill them”.

The end goal for the project will be to create a delivery system for the drugs using polymers or hydrogels. It is an important area in the fight against infected wounds, particularly people with diabetes, whose wounds are often more difficult to treat.

Chronic wounds are a lifethreatening global issue and a common occurrence in an ageing population. Clinical research has reported that annually over 18 million patients globally suffer from chronic wounds.

Of these chronic wounds, over 50 per cent will develop a localised infection with potential to develop into a general infection.

The aim is to produce a prototype by December 2021.