Abstract: The present invention relates to the diagnosis, prognosis and/or treatment of wound infection by testing wound fluid for the presence of a marker which is present in an amount which is indicative of infection. The marker may be high molecular weight phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) or a marker which is correlated with cPLA2.

Abstract: A wound dressing for vacuum therapy comprising: a cover configured for placement over the wound to maintain a reduced pressure over the wound and adapted for communication with a source of vacuum, and a screen structure for placement between the cover and the wound, wherein the screen structure is adapted to remove or inactivate undesirable components from the wound environment and/or to concentrate desirable components present in the wound environment. Also provided are kits for the assembly of such wound dressings, and systems comprising the wound dressings in combination with a source of vacuum.

Abstract: A wound dressing composition comprising a human recombinant collagen and an oxidized cellulose. For example, the composition may be in the form of a sponge formed by freeze drying an aqueous dispersion of human recombinant collagen and oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC). The composition is especially suitable for the treatment of chronic wounds.

Abstract: A wound dressing material for controlled activation of a wound healing therapeutic compound in the presence of a protease enzyme in a wound fluid, the material comprising: a medically acceptable polymer; a wound healing therapeutic agent; an inhibitor of the protease enzyme; and a linker group which is cleavable by the protease enzyme, wherein the activities of both the wound healing therapeutic agent and the inhibitor are increased by contacting the wound dressing material with a wound fluid containing the protease enzyme. For example, the enzyme may be a matrix metalloproteinase, the therapeutic agent may be a reactive oxygen scavenger, and the inhibitor may be a tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP).

Abstract: The present invention relates to monitoring patients for an inflammatory condition or infection (preferably wound infection) by testing an extracellular fluid such as a wound fluid for an elevated level of: (i) vimentin; (ii) a vimentin breakdown product; or (iii) a marker indicative of the presence of vimentin. The present invention provides methods of diagnosis and prognosis, wound dressings, devices (e.g. biosensors) and kits for use in such methods.

Abstract: A wound dressing material comprising a polymeric substrate, a silver salt, and a dyestuff to photostabilize the silver salt. The substrate may comprise collagen and/or oxidized regenerated cellulose complexed to Ag30 , and the dyestuff may for example be an aniline or acridine dye. Also provided are methods of making such materials, and wound dressings comprising such materials.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of diagnosis or prognosis of a mammalian wound infection, said method comprising the step of measuring the level of at least one cell surface receptor in a sample of wound fluid. The preferred cell surface receptors are Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM 1) and Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-2 (TNF-RII). The present invention also provides devices (e.g. biosensors) for use in such methods, and methods and products for diagnosing and treating infected wounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of diagnosis or prognosis of a mammalian wound infection, said method comprising the step of measuring the level of at least on angiogenic factor in a sample of wound fluid. The preferred angiogenic growth factors are angiogenin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The present invention also provides devices (e.g. biosensors) for use in such methods, and methods and products for diagnosing and treating infected wounds.

Abstract: The invention provides a wound dressing comprising a therapeutic agent and a matrix comprising polymers joined by cross-linkages which cross-linkages comprise oligopeptidic sequences which are cleavable by a kallikrein associated with wound fluid such that the rate of release of the therapeutic agent increases in the presence of elevated kallikrein levels.

Abstract: A wound dressing composition comprising a chitosan and an oxidized cellulose. For example, the composition may be in the form of a sponge formed by freeze drying an aqueous dispersion of chitosan and oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC). The composition is especially suitable for the treatment of chronic wounds.

Abstract: A wound dressing material comprising a solid bioabsorbable substrate dyed with an antioxidant dyestuff. The substrate may comprise collagen, chitosan or oxidized regenerated cellulose, and the dyestuff may for example be an aniline or acridine dye. The material preferably also comprises a silver salt, whereby the dyestuff stabilizes the silver salt. Also provided are methods of making such materials, and wound dressings comprising such materials.

Abstract: The invention provides a wound dressing material comprising a complex of an anionic polysaccharide with silver, wherein the material comprises from about 0.1 wt. % to about 3 wt. % of silver. Also provided are wound dressings comprising such materials, and the use of such materials in medicine.

Abstract: A wound treatment device comprising a water-impermeable envelope having at least one aperture, wherein the envelope contains a therapeutic substance, and wherein the at least one aperture in the envelope is blocked by a material that breaks down in the presence of one or more active components of wound fluid thereby permitting the therapeutic substance to contact the wound fluid. Preferably, the aperture is blocked by a material that is a substrate for an enzyme present in wound fluid, such as a protease.

Abstract: A wound dressing comprising: a therapeutic agent selected from the group consisting of antimicrobial substances pain relieving substances, protease inhibitors, and mixtures thereof; and a barrier layer for initially separating the therapeutic agent from a wound fluid in use, wherein the barrier layer comprises a substrate for an enzyme selected from the group consisting of proteases, kallikrein and tissue-plasminogen activator. Preferably the substrate comprises a substrate for elastase or a collagenase. The barrier layer breaks down in infected or chronic wounds, thereby releasing the therapeutic substance selectively into such wounds.

Abstract: A method of predicting or diagnosing clinical infection of a wound comprising measuring the concentration of a maker associated with an inflammatory response in wound fluid, wherein the maker is a fibronectin fragment, a neutrophil protease or a macrophage protease. Also provided is a use of a wound dressing or biosensor comprising components of an assay system for measuring the concentration of a marker associated with an inflammatory response, wherein the marker is a fibronectin fragment, a neutrophil protease or a macrophage protease, for use in the manufacture of a medicament for predicting the likelihood of clinical infection of the wound or for diagnosing clinical infection of a wound.