TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian researchers at the Faculty of Textile Engineering at Amirkabir University of Technology in cooperation with the University of Granada in Spain succeeded in modifying cellulosic textiles to produce wound dressings with antimicrobial and anti-cancer properties.

"In this study, we have used two types of metal-organic framework called glutamate-zinc framework as BioMOF and metal-organic framework (3.5-dimethyl-4-carboxy pirazolate-zinc as MOF)," Seyed Abbas Nourian Najafabadi, a textile graduate, said about his project 'Completion of Cellulosic Wound Dressing by Synthesis of Porous Metal-Peptide Nanostructures for Drug Release'.

He added that the study has been conducted in collaboration with the University of Granada for two years under Hemmatinejad (a faculty member of Amirkabir University of Technology) and Jorge Navarro (a faculty member of the University of Granada-Spain).

"By placing the drug in the porous structure of the metal-organic framework, controlled release of the drug is possible and the wound dressing can be used for a longer period of time. In this regard, using nitric acid gas (a gas with antimicrobial properties) and fluorouracil (anti-cancer skin) can be used for wound dressing with antimicrobial or anti-cancer pad properties," Nourian Najafabadi said.

In a relevant development in April, Iranian researchers at Royan institute in cooperation with their colleagues at Semnan University introduced a transparent tributylammonium alginate surface-modified cationic polyurethane (CPU) wound dressing which can heal full-thickness wounds rapidly.

Risk factors of nonhealing wounds include persistent bacterial infections and rapid onset of dehydration; therefore, wound dressings should be used to accelerate the healing process by helping to disinfect the wound and provide moisture.

In this research, the Iranian scientists studied the physicochemical properties of the dressing using Fourier transform infrared, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopies and scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray, and thermomechanical analyses.

The surface-modified polyurethane demonstrated improved hydrophilicity and tensile Young’s modulus that approximated natural skin, which was in the range of 1.5–3 MPa. Cell viability and in vitro wound closure, assessed by MTS and the scratch assay, confirmed that the dressing was cytocompatible and possessed fibroblast migratory-promoting activity.

The surface-modified CPU had up to 100% antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, respectively. In vivo assessments of both noninfected and infected wounds revealed that the surface-modified CPU dressing resulted in a faster healing rate because it reduced the persistent inflammatory phase, enhanced collagen deposition, and improved the formation of mature blood vessels when compared with CPU and commercial Tegaderm wound dressing