Partial-thickness thermal
burn wounds are characterized by a prolonged inflammatory response, oxidative stress, tissue damage, and secondary
necrosis. An optimal dressing for
burn wounds would reduce
inflammation and oxidative stress while providing a moist, absorbent, and protective cover. We have developed an extract from unfertilized salmon roe containing components with potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, called HTX. HTX has been combined with
alginate from brown algae and nanocellulose from tunicates, and 3D printed into a solid
hydrogel wound dressing called Collex. Here, Collex was tested on partial thickness
burn wounds in Göttingen minipigs compared to
Jelonet, and a variant of Collex without HTX. We found that dermal treatment of
burn wounds with Collex resulted in accelerated healing at a majority of measured points over 23 days, compared to treatment with
Jelonet. In comparison to Collex without HTX, Collex enhanced healing in the first week after
trauma where
wound progression was pronounced. Notably, Collex reduced the inflammatory response in the early post-injury phase. The anti-inflammatory response of Collex was investigated in more detail on activated M1 macrophages. We found that Collex, as well as HTX alone, significantly reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory interleukin-1β as well as intracellular levels of oxidative stress. The results from this study indicate that Collex is a potent dressing for the treatment of
burn wounds, with the anti-inflammatory effect of HTX beneficial in the initial phase, and the moist qualities of the
hydrogel favorable both in the initial and the proceeding proliferative phase of wound healing.