PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AN ELECTROSPUN GELATIN/DENDRIMER HYBRID NANOFIBER DRESSING

A novel dendritic wound dressing was designed and characterized for its potential to treat chronic wounds. Comprised of gelatin, dendrimer, synthetic polymer and antibiotics, the dressing was electrospun to mimic the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Gelatin is biocompatible, biodegradable, non-toxic, and easily available. The antibiotic, doxycycline, has the ability to inhibit matrix metalloproteinases. Matrix metalloproteinases, which occur in excess in chronic wounds, degrade the reconstituted ECM. Starburst™ polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer G3.5, which provides a versatile and structurally controlled architecture to construct nanomedicine, was covalently bonded to the gelatin backbone and electrospun into nanofibers with gelatin, doxycycline and stabilizing polymers. The proposed gelatin/dendrimer hybrid provides a bacterial free environment and mimics the ECM to promote wound healing. The development of this new polymeric matrix is an important step in advancing the use of bioactive nanofibers with targeted and controlled drug delivery as a wound dressing.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biomedical Engineering

Year dc:date.available

2009

Author dc:creator

• Smith-Freshwater, Alicia P.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hu Yang

• PAMAM dendrimer
• electrospinning
• gelatin wound dressing
• Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering
• Engineering

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/19

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1018