Multi-Component Nanolayer Assemblies for Soldier Wound Healing

There is a strong need in battlefield medicine for simple, easily stored wound dressings that can be rapidly applied to acute soldier wounds on-site as a first line of defense to stop profuse bleeding and simultaneously address potential infection. Following immediate wound treatment and care, the healing process for large open acute wounds that are experienced by soldiers in combat is often impeded by sepsis, fibrosis, and excessive scarring that can hinder the wound closure process and lead to deformity, limited mobility, and even morbidity in soldiers following care. This project will investigate the use of water based electrostatic nanolayer assembly methods to incorporate hemostasis and anti-infective agents into ultrathin coatings at very high loadings to enable immediate remediation and to prevent loss of life for the soldier on the battlefield. The thin film components will include nanofiber forming self- assembling peptides that form gel networks when hydrated for highly effective hemostasis. We will use similar approaches to extend this layer-by-layer assembly method to the generation of wound dressings and post-surgical resorbable wound healing scaffolds that can mediate the wound healing process for acute wounds over multiple days through the delivery of potent growth factors that regulate tissue wound healing, and bioengineered nanomaterials that can be used to activate deconstruction of a film and release of drug on exposure to near- IR light for post- surgical triggered release of anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic factors.