Adhesive bands will now be biodegradable and more effective against pain

UN/DICYT  Each time someone has a small injury they appeal to adhesive bands to protect the wound. Now researchers are raising the possibility of making an adhesive film which will speed up scar formation, reduce pain and bleeding.

Furthermore this film was also conceived for protecting the environment after being used as it degradation is complete after use given its biodegradable components.

The film is manufactured with a chitosan polymeric base obtained from quinine, an alkaloid which is part of structures of some live beings such as arthropods, mollusks and fungi. Amongst its properties is absorption, antimicrobial and hemostatic action (stopping blood flow).

The other polymeric compound is pullulan, which is produced by yeast aerobically and has excellent adhesive characteristics when dry. Also it is an excellent oxygen protection barrier.

After being placed over the skin the biofilm biodegrades as a function of time, but also focuses the drug on the wound.

“We are also working on films based on iodine which is a disinfectant or mucus-adhesive films which can stick to mouth mucosa to treat gingivitis,” said UNal Pharmacy Department Professor Jesús Barbosa.

Currently the film is being tested on mice, researchers will test them on human beings on glucose test patients when they prick their finger to take a blood sample; they will place the film on the wound and determine blood clotting time.

The biofilm is 1.5 millimeters (0.05 in.) thick and can come in several sizes. Currently they are performing resistivity tests with a machine which stretches the band in order to measure its strength.

Water helps the biofilm stick to the skin and at the same time degrade until it slowly disappears and the patient doesn’t need to take it off.

The most frequent places people have small wounds are the head and neck (50%) and fingers (35%). Well blood irrigated areas such as the head and neck heal faster than other areas of the body such as the abdomen or the back.

Undergraduate student Jenny Marcela Mancipe and Professor Hélber de Jesús Barbosa are the researchers which work on the project at the UNal-Bogotá Pharmacy Department.