TENTACLES

Despite recent clinical advances in wound healing, several systemic and local factors can disrupt the physiologic healing process. The development of novel therapeutically active wound dressings which provide the wound protection from ‘environmental’ effects as well as wound healing promotion has an advantageous potential for clinical applications.
The aim of the TENTACLES project is to develop an innovative multifunctional nanogel that brilliantly integrates the protective (polymer-based nanohydrogel) and healing functions (iron oxide nanoparticles and targeted miRNA) within one nanocomposite smart structure. The heating-mediated stress stimuli via magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles mild fluid hyperthermia (MFH) promote heat shock protein (HSP) induction involved in fibrogenesis, extracellular matrix (ECM) production and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) activation, which is essential to fibrosis. Additionally, miRNA molecules, the key players in the wound repair and regeneration processes, contribute to promotion of the wound healing process via expression modulation of particular genes.
The proposed innovative nanocomposite smart nanohydrogel provides revolutionized wound healing therapeutical strategy particularly for diabetic or long stay recovered patients. The coupling of different techniques to wound healing, could pave the way to novel industrial opportunities and lead to the realization of patient-oriented devices, aimed at improving the general health status of patients.