Dressing

Abstract

Described herein are surgical or wound dressings comprising a sheet of gellan gum and an antifibrotic agent. Methods for producing dressings comprising gellan gums and biologically active agents are also described.

1 .- 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A method of producing a surgical or wound dressing comprising a gellan gum and an antifibrotic agent, the method comprising:
 (a) forming a layer of the gellan gum onto a mold;   (b) depositing a layer of the antifibrotic agent onto the layer of gellan gum;   (c) forming a further layer of heated gellan gum onto the layer of antifibrotic agent;   (d) optionally repeating steps (b) and (c) one or more times; and   (e) optionally depositing a layer of antifibrotic agent onto the final layer of gellan gum.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the heated gellan gum is about 0.05 w/w to about 5% w/w gellan gum in an aqueous liquid. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the antifibrotic agent comprises decorin. 
     
     
         40 . A dressing produced by the method of  claim 37 . 
     
     
         41 . The dressing of  claim 40  wherein the dressing is dried after molding. 
     
     
         42 . The dressing of  claim 41  wherein, before use, the surgical dressing is rehydrated. 
     
     
         43 . The dressing of  claim 40  additionally comprising on at least a portion of a surface of the dressing, a region comprising one or more proscarring compounds. 
     
     
         44 . The dressing of  claim 40  further comprising a chemically modified surface for the attachment of one or more cells, or peptides, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         45 . A method of treating an eye, wound, burn, or surgical incision, the method comprising applying the dressing of  claim 40  to the eye, wound, burn, or surgical incision. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45  wherein the surgical incision is an incision in the brain, abdomen, the socket of a tooth, a tendon or ligament, the skin, or a wound from the removal of one or more tumors. 
     
     
         47 . A bandage or sticking plaster comprising a layer of the dressing of claim  4 . 
     
     
         48 . A method of making a surgical or wound dressing, comprising heating together:
 (a) about 0.05 to about 5% w/w gellan gum and an aqueous liquid optionally with 0 to about 5% w/w of a further polymer, to form a liquid gellan gum;   (b) cooling the liquid gellan gum;   (c) adding an antifibrotic agent to the cooled liquid gellan gum;   (d) casting the gellan gum to form a sheet of gellan gum having a thickness of about 0.5 to about 5 mm thickness; and   (e) optionally drying the sheet of gellan gum.   
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48  comprising mixing the gellan gum and aqueous liquid at about 80° C. or greater to form liquid gellan gum; cooling the liquid gum to about 37° C. to about 45° C.; mixing an antifibrotic agent in the cooled liquid gellan gum at about 37° C. to about 45° C.; and cooling and casting the liquid gellan gum containing the antifibrotic agent. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48  wherein the dried sheet of gellan gum is rehydrated with an aqueous liquid, wherein optionally the aqueous liquid comprises one or more biologically active additives. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50  wherein the rehydrated dressing is compressed to exclude a portion of liquid from the dressing; the excluded liquid is removed; liquid comprising one or more biologically active additives is placed in contact with the dressing; and the dressing is allowed to expand to draw the liquid containing the biologically active additive into the wound dressing. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50  wherein at least one of the biologically active additives is selected from the group consisting of antifibrotic agents, pro-VEGF agents, anti-VEGF agents, antibacterial agents, and proteoglycans. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 48  further comprising contacting the cast gellan gum with a cross-linking agent. 
     
     
         54 . A method of analyzing a condition of a wound or burn, the method comprising contacting the wound or burn with the dressing of  claim 40 , allowing fluid from the wound or burn to pass into or through the dressing, and analyzing the fluid in the dressing or which has passed through the dressing. 
     
     
         55 . A dressing comprising at least one layer of an antifibrotic agent and at least two layers of a gellan gum, where at least one layer of the antifibrotic agent is positioned between two such layers of the gellan gum. 
     
     
         56 . The dressing of  claim 56  wherein the dressing is capable of or adapted for use in treating an eye, wound, burn, or surgical incision.