Bandages to aid diabetic wound healing

Materials Science For some conditions, such as diabetic foot ulcers, wound healing can take a long time and may be delayed by the overexpression of proteases such as matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Castleberry et al. used layer-by-layer technology to first deposit a water-degradable underlayer onto a nylon bandage, over which they then coated alternating layers of chitosan and small interfering RNA (siRNA). The release profile of the siRNA was controlled by the thickness of the underlayer, whereas the number of siRNA layers could be used to control the overall dose. In mouse models, local delivery of siRNA to an ulcerative wound reduced the production of MMP-9 and thus increased the concentration of extracellular matrix and dramatically improved wound healing. Adv. Mater. 10.1002/adma.201503565 (2015).