A Novel Treatment to Prevent Deep Wound Infection
Project Leader: John Coates
Unit: College of Science, Dept. of Microbiology
Brief Description:
The invention takes advantage of the novel metabolism of a unique microorganism isolated by Dr. Coates's research team to produce oxygen in copious quantities from aqueous solutions of a dry stable chemical under aerobic or anoxic conditions. The oxygen is evolved as gaseous O2, which may inhibit the development of gangrenous infection in deep wounds.
Patent Status:
Patent application pending.
Potential Commercial Uses:
A major medical problem in deep tissue wound therapy is the prevention and treatment of gas gangrene. Gas gangrene is the result of the development of anaerobic conditions in the wound and infection by obligatory strict anaerobic Clostridia species. There is no known vaccine for this condition. Present treatments of gas gangrene involve cumbersome hypobaric chambers to increase oxygen levels in infected tissue. This invention can potentially be applied as a dry powder directly into the wound prior to suturing and will result in the slow release of oxygen into the surrounding tissue. The chemical substrate will also have inhibitory effects on the growth of Clostridia species. In extreme conditions where gas gangrene is already onset, the invention may be injected as a solution directly into the wound, resulting in the development of aerobic conditions and thus inhibiting the progress of the Clostridial infection.
Contact:
Jeff Myers, Senior Technology Transfer Specialist, (618) 453-4543, fax: (618) 453-8038