Translational Research

Chronic Wound Simulator: The Triphasic Wound Model (TWM) PLUS

Background

• Chronic wounds and their consequences have become a significant problem, recognizing an aging population.
  
  
• Current CDC data states that chronic wound infections are the 2nd most costly disease ($), following only Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP).
  
  
• The biofilm (BF) phenotypes have been implicated in the pathophysiology of wound, often focused on the “stalled” environment of a non-healing wound.
  
  
• PowerPoints 1, 2, 3, and 4 link BF phenotypes to wound pathogenesis, describing the bi-phasic nature, critical colonization, and the importance of phenotype ratio, biofilm to planktonic.
  
  
• PowerPoints 5 and 6 depict our hypothesis that was incorporated into the engineered model, the Triphasic Wound Model (TWM), which separates, then unites a procaryotic poloxamer induced biofilm (C), a targeted eucaryotic cell tissue (A), and a separation device (B) with pores, allowing for assessment of diffusible biofilm effector molecules, C to A.
  
  
• PowerPoints 7, 8, and 9 depict the importance of ratio, BF to Planktonic phenotype, and the use of probiotics to reverse the deleterious effect of effector molecules by a complex three species biofilm.