Daemen College : Academics & Research : Research at Daemen : Wound Therapy Research

Wound Therapy Research

The Center for Wound Healing Research

Since June of 2004, Daemen College was awarded $930,000 from the U.S. Department of Defense for The Center for Wound Healing Research. The funding was requested by Representative Thomas M. Reynolds, R- Clarence as part of the 2005 Defense spending Bill; it is being administered through the United States Department of Defense, Army Medical Research & Materiel Command (USAMRMC).

Chronic wounds are wounds that do not heal. Pressure ulcers (bed sores), diabetic ulcers, venous ulcers and arterial ulcers are types of chronic wounds. Daemen's research team is working to improve the lives of individuals who suffer with chronic wounds. They have identified specific protein changes associated with both healing and delay of healing of chronic wounds. It is their hope that this research is the first step leading to a standard for wound treatment evaluation and a better understanding of the healing of wounds. A standard would allow caregivers to select the most efficacious treatment for each wound, resulting in the most efficient use of the money available for healing. The development of such a standard will greatly improve the quality of care for patients with chronic wounds.

With this funding, the research team at Daemen will conduct research to assess the protein changes which occur as wounds transition from chronic to healing, thereby testing the hypothesis that specific biomarkers are associated with the earliest stages of healing in chronic wounds. The identification of biomarkers, which indicate initial stages of healing, is the first step in developing a standard evaluation of wounds to determine if the treatment is successful at the earliest time possible. The results from this study will be important in the development of new wound treatments for chronic and immediate post injury wounds and in the determination of the most efficacious use of health treatment dollars.

In February of 2007, Dr. Edsberg was awarded a contract from ADVANCED OXYGEN THERAPY INTERNATIONAL for $344,902 for a protocol is "A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Parallel Group, Placebo-Controlled, Multi-Center Trial of Topical Wound Oxygen Therapy in the Treatment of Diabetic Lower Extremity Ulcers." The purpose of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of the Topic Wound Oxygen therapy on the healing of diabetic lower extremity ulcers.

Contact:

Dr. Laura Edsberg, Director, Natural and Health Sciences Research Center and Director of the Center for Wound Healing Research

Photos of chronic wounds

The following are additional grant-funded studies at Daemen on chronic wounds:

Evaluation of Topical Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Multicenter Study The purpose of this study is to compare the healing rates of pressure ulcers treated with Topical Hyperbaric Oxygen vs. controls. This project is made possible by a grant from Advanced Hyperbaric Technologies. Co-investigators: Dr. Laura Edsberg, Michael Brogan, M.S., P.T., Dr. David Jaynes, and Dr. Kristin Fries

Microstructural and Mechanical Evaluation of Human Tissue at and Adjacent to Decubitus Ulcers This study, which examined the breakdown of tissues in decubitus ulcers, or pressure sores, was funded by a $54,282 grant from the National Science Foundation through its Industry/University Co-Operative Research Center Program. The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences, mathematics, and engineering. The Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) Program was initiated in 1973 to develop long- term partnerships among industry, academe and government. Principal Investigator at Daemen: Dr. Laura Edsberg

Diabetic Wound Healing Using Topic Hyperbaric Oxygen and Electrical Simulation The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of topical hyperbaric oxygen and electrical stimulation used to treat diabetic wounds. This project was funded by a grant in 1999 from The New York Physical Therapy Association Research Designated Fund. Co-investigators: Dr. Laura Edsberg, Michael Brogan, M.S., P.T., Dr. David Jaynes, and Dr. Kristin Fries

Analyses of Proteins Associated with Chronic Wound Healing Using Specific Modalities The purpose of this research is to evaluate healing of chronic wounds treated with specific modalities and the proteins associated with healing." This project was funded by a grant in December of 2000 from The New York Physical Therapy Association Research Designated Fund. Co-investigators: Dr. Laura Edsberg, Michael Brogan, M.S., P.T., Dr. David Jaynes, and Dr. Kristin Fries