Development of Technologies that Address the Complex Architecture of the Face During the Treatment of Severe Facial Burn Injury

With the advent of improved body armor and vehicles and the enemy"s use of the improved explosion device (IED) in the most recent conflicts, blast injuries and related burns to the face have become more and more common among our Wounded Warriors. Pathological scarring, which often results in contracture, tends to be more prevalent in these burn cases due to the traumatic nature of the IED injury. The specialized care, rehabilitation, and reconstructive surgery required for these injuries results in significant degradation of quality of life for facial burn victims. The aim of this proposed project is to conduct a proof of concept for an innovative 3D printed halofuginone eluding keratin-based wound dressing that could potentially improve healing rates and reduce scarring and contracture in our burned Wounded Warriors. The proposed dressing will be formulated and tested for mechanical properties and drug delivery capabilities. It will then be tested in vitro for treatment of wound contracture. In the potential Phase II follow-on project, a full prototype of the dressing would be constructed, and efficacy would be tested in a porcine burn model.