Department of Defense Awards OSU $1.4M to Research Novel Methods in Wound Care

Researchers from Ohio State University’s College of Medicine have been awarded a two-year, $1.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to study the benefits of using brown algae extracted from seaweed and giant kelp to treat burn wounds. 

After skin tissue is burned, antibiotic-resistant bacteria cause biofilms to form over the wound. Utilizing the expertise of a multi-disciplinary team of industry and academic partners, researchers will, for the first time, use a novel model to analyze treatment options in hopes of disrupting biofilm formation, and/or devising a strategy to prevent re-formation of biofilms over burn wounds.

Biofilms, which, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), are linked to 60 percent of all chronic infections in the U.S. alone, also pose a significant threat to victims of war who suffer from burn wounds acquired in active duty. 

“New treatments with topical agents that inhibit biofilm formation or promote their detachment, and reduce wound infections, could have a tremendous impact not only for military medicine, but also for civilian hospitals, wound care centers and trauma units worldwide,” said Chandn Sen, professor and vice chair for research in Ohio State's Department of Surgery, and principal investigator on this study. 

For complete details, see the story from OSU Medical Center.