Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


AkulaS.the (final).pdf (2.25 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Fluorinated Methacrylamide Chitosan Hydrogel Improves Cellular Wound Healing Processes

Akula, Sridhar
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1478876622687471

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Science in Engineering, University of Akron, Chemical Engineering.
Wound healing is a complex process with many local and systematic factors affecting it, including advancing age, local tissue oxygen tension, stress, diabetes etc. Some of these factors severely decelerates wound healing processes and lead to non-healing chronic wounds. In extreme cases affected areas are amputated such as in the case of diabetic foot ulcers. A key underlying problem in chronic wounds is the low availability of oxygen, which leads to stalled wound healing. Current clinical therapies to treat non-healing chronic wounds are hyperbaric oxygen therapy and topical oxygen therapy, but they are not economically viable and inconvenient for the patient. Simple solutions are required to treat chronic wounds in an economically viable way to overcome the shortcomings of these currently available clinical therapies. Here, I propose a chitosan-based hydrogel incorporating perfluorocarbons (PFCs) that has been named fluorinated methacrylamide chitosan (MACF), which can supply oxygen to chronic wounds. Previous work from the Leipzig lab has demonstrated that MACF hydrogels can be loaded with oxygen and can supply it locally to oxygen-deficient environments. This thesis presents in vitro studies testing the potential benefits of oxygen releasing MACF hydrogels on human skin cells (human dermal fibroblasts and human epidermal keratinocytes), evaluated under both normoxic (21% O2) and hypoxic (1% O2) environments. Results showed that MACF improved cellular functions involved in wound healing such as cell viability (metabolism), cell migration and total cell number under hypoxic conditions in both human dermal fibroblasts and human epidermal keratinocytes. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) quantification also revealed that MACF treatments improved cellular ATP levels significantly over controls under both normoxia and hypoxia. These studies indicate that supplying local oxygen via MACF under hypoxic environments improves cellular functions involved in wound healing processes and MACF will be a promising solution in improving chronic wound healing.
Nic Leipzig (Advisor)
Lingyun Liu (Committee Member)
Jie Zheng (Committee Member)
67 p.
Biomedical Engineering; Chemical Engineering

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Akula, S. (2016). Fluorinated Methacrylamide Chitosan Hydrogel Improves Cellular Wound Healing Processes [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1478876622687471

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Akula, Sridhar. Fluorinated Methacrylamide Chitosan Hydrogel Improves Cellular Wound Healing Processes. 2016. University of Akron, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1478876622687471.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Akula, Sridhar. "Fluorinated Methacrylamide Chitosan Hydrogel Improves Cellular Wound Healing Processes." Master's thesis, University of Akron, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1478876622687471

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1478876622687471
635
© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.