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Project

Expanding our glycyrrhizine hydrogel technology into new applications

The skin acts as a first barrier against bacteria and disease carriers. It is however exposed to the environments which can lead to damage in the form of wounds. Wound healing is regulated by inflammatory processes which under the wrong circumstances can lead to chronic inflammation. We developed a hydrogel based on a natural compound with a dual action: it creates a moist environment, beneficial to wound healing, and it prevents chronic inflammation and bacterial growth by blocking a protein crucial in inflammation processes and bacterial communication. In this project, we expand on the basic wound healing behavior by investigating the antibacterial and antibiofilm properties of our gels. As the active compound has antibacterial activity, the hydrogels should as well. In addition, we will also increase applications by adding antibiotics to the hydrogels making them act as a reservoir for prolonged local delivery, and we will elucidate expected synergistic effects already proven for single molecules.
Date:1 Oct 2020 →  30 Sep 2022
Keywords:hydrogel, antibiotics, wound healing
Disciplines:Dermatology, Orthopaedics not elsewhere classified, Supramolecular chemistry, Rheology