PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN ELECTROSPUN GELATIN/DENDRIMER HYBRID NANOFIBER DRESSING

Abstract

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN ELECTROSPUN GELATIN/DENDRIMER HYBRID NANOFIBER DRESSING FOR CHRONIC WOUND TREATMENT By Alicia Smith-Freshwater A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009 Director: Hu Yang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering A novel dendritic wound dressing was designed and characterized for its potential to treat chronic wounds. Comprised of gelatin, dendrimer, synthetic polymer and antibiotics, the dressing was electrospun to mimic the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Gelatin is biocompatible, biodegradable, non-toxic, and easily available. The antibiotic, doxycycline, has the ability to inhibit matrix metalloproteinases. Matrix metalloproteinases, which occur in excess in chronic wounds, degrade the reconstituted ECM. StarburstTM polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer G3.5, which provides a versatile and structurally controlled architecture to construct nanomedicine, was covalently bonded to the gelatin backbone and electrospun into nanofibers with gelatin, doxycycline and stabilizing polymers. The proposed gelatin/dendrimer hybrid provides a bacterial free environment and mimics the ECM to promote wound healing. The development of this new polymeric matrix is an important step in advancing the use of bioactive nanofibers with targeted and controlled drug delivery as a wound dressing. CHAPTER