Sequestration of wound relevant MMP’s by a newly developed non-woven PHMB wound dressing, compared to a silver hydrofiber wound dressing.

Introduction: Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) play an important role in the wound healing process and are carefully regulated in normal healing. MMPs have roles in cell migration, re-epithelisation as well as inflammation modulation and angiogenesis. However, two of the main MMPs involved in the regulation of healing, namely MMP-2 and MMP-9, are found in elevated levels in many chronic wound exudates where normal healing has stalled.

These excess levels lead to a highly proteolytic environment, where newly forming tissues and growth factors are broken down, preventing the wound from progressing though the stages of healing. Here we investigate the ability of a new, high gelling fibre dressing combining Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) and polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) to sequester MMPs in vitro and compare this to a silver hydrofiber wound dressing product already available on the market.

Method: Samples were tested in vitro for their ability to sequester recombinant, wound relevant, MMPs. Samples were pre hydrated with simulated wound fluid prior to incubation with MMP solutions. Samples were then washed with phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and the wash solution tested for the presence of MMPs via ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Results: The non-woven PHMB dressing effectively sequestered MMP-2 and MMP-9 and outperformed the silver hydrofiber wound dressing.

Discussion: The in vitro performance of the non-woven PHMB dressing demonstrates excellent sequestration capability and it is suggested this may support the healing of chronic wounds, with removal of excess MMPs, allowing them to transition into normal healing.