Ulvan-Based Nanofibrous Patches Enhance Wound Healing of Skin Trauma Resulting from Cryosurgical Treatment of Keloids
Stefanos Kikionis,
Marianna Koromvoki,
Anna Tagka,
Eleni Polichronaki,
Alexandros Stratigos,
Antonios Panagiotopoulos,
Aikaterini Kyritsi,
Vangelis Karalis,
Andreas Vitsos,
Michail Rallis,
Efstathia Ioannou,
Vassilios Roussis
Affiliations
Stefanos Kikionis
Section of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Marianna Koromvoki
Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece
Anna Tagka
First Department of Dermatology-Venereology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Andreas Syggros Hospital, 5 Ionos Dragoumi Str., 11621 Athens, Greece
Eleni Polichronaki
First Department of Dermatology-Venereology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Andreas Syggros Hospital, 5 Ionos Dragoumi Str., 11621 Athens, Greece
Alexandros Stratigos
First Department of Dermatology-Venereology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Andreas Syggros Hospital, 5 Ionos Dragoumi Str., 11621 Athens, Greece
Antonios Panagiotopoulos
First Department of Dermatology-Venereology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Andreas Syggros Hospital, 5 Ionos Dragoumi Str., 11621 Athens, Greece
Aikaterini Kyritsi
Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece
Vangelis Karalis
Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece
Andreas Vitsos
Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece
Michail Rallis
Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece
Efstathia Ioannou
Section of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Vassilios Roussis
Section of Pharmacognosy and Chemistry of Natural Products, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
Keloids are skin fibroproliferative disorders, resulting from abnormal healing of deep cutaneous injuries. Cryosurgery, the most common treatment for keloids, causes skin traumas. Even though the clinical practice of cryosurgery has increased, effective wound healing therapy is still lacking. In this investigation, nonwoven nanofibrous patches composed of ulvan, a marine sulfated polysaccharide exhibiting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, and polyethylene oxide (PEO) were fabricated through electrospinning and characterized. Their wound healing efficacy on skin traumas resulting from cryosurgical treatment of keloids was clinically tested and evaluated in comparison to a reference product. Twenty-four volunteer patients undergoing cryosurgery as a treatment of keloids were selected to apply either the ulvan/PEO patch or the reference product for 21 days. The ulvan/PEO patch, 21 days after cryosurgery, showed significant wound healing, elimination of skin inflammation, restoration of biophysical parameters similar to normal values and significant decrease in haemoglobin concentration, skin texture and volume, while no discomfort or adverse reaction was observed. In contrast, the reference product showed inferior performance in all evaluated parameters. The designed ulvan/PEO patch represents the first wound dressing to effectively heal skin trauma after cryosurgical treatment of keloids.