www.elitecme.com | 2019 | INFECTIOUS DISEASE, DISASTER PLANNING & WOUND CARE 37 further evaluation when a wound is listed as a secondary diagnosis, these costs are probably closer to $31.7 billion annually. The most expensive wounds are surgical wounds and diabetic wounds, followed by arterial ulcers and pressure ulcers. These statistics are only the Medicare pop- ulation – not Medicaid or private insurance. In light of these astonishing numbers, research continues to improve wound care. Here’s a roundup of some of the most recent wound care research. OMEGA OIL We’ve all heard of omega-3 fatty acids and their benefit for heart health, joint health, and a myriad of other benefits. Now one company, Omeza out of Sarasota, Florida, is claiming that omega oil can help to heal wounds. One anecdotal scenario involved a person with shingles; this person applied omega oil to the shingles. According to this person, “…the lymph fluid that’s inside the blisters was reab- sorbed into the body and three days later it was gone… The oil for me was a lifesaver. Treating me with the oil, the rash started fading imme- diately, as did the pain and itching.” The brains behind omega oil is Dr. Desmond Bell, a wound-healing specialist. He created Omeza’s collagen matrix after his mother had a tunneling wound under her breast due to treatment for breast cancer. Her provid- ers were packing the wound using traditional practices but consented to the use of Omeza’s collagen matrix. The wound healed within 12 days. Omeza has four products; each product treats a specific type of wound. GENE THERAPY When wounds heal correctly, skin cells (epithelial cells), move towards the center of the wound. This allows the wound to heal and eventually close. When wounds are large, when the patient is older, or when healing is otherwise impaired, this process can become more difficult. In these cir- cumstances, surgery may be necessary to improve healing. Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte of the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, along with fellow researchers, have discovered a way to potentially “trick” wounds into healing them- selves into healing without the need for major surgery. They call this technique “cellular reprogramming” and it alters the non-epithe- lial cells of the wound. Cellular reprogramming is performed by injecting viruses into the non-healing wound. According to Izpisua Belmonte, the injection causes the non-epithelial cells “…to force the expression of four genes in these other [non-epithelial] skin cell types and turn them into epithelial cells.” These “new” cells typically heal the wound in a month or less. The study is still underway and is being tested for long-term safety, but results are promising. In fact, Izpisua Belmonte believes that the time-frame for healing will become even shorter. It is also believed that this ther- apy may be helpful in surgical skin transplants and artificial skin grafts. NOVEL THERAPIES Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have been at work on a novel thera- py that targets an enzyme called fidgetin-like 2 (FL2). David J. Sharp, Ph.D., professor of physiology and biophysics, discovered that this enzyme causes wounds to heal slower because it slows epithelial cell migration to the center of the wound. The research- ers theorized that by reducing FL2 levels, the epithelial cells would reach the wound quicker, thus healing faster. In order to accomplish this feat, researchers had to create small interfering RNA molecules (siRNA) that inhibited FL2. These siRNA mol- ecules, when sprayed on wounds, helped heal wounds faster. Then the researchers combined siRNA with PluroGel, which keeps wounds moist and has antimicrobial properties. In their study, the siRNA/PluroGel combination treated wounds compared with wounds treated just with PluroGel. The wounds with the siRNA/ PluroGelhadbetterwoundhealingcapabilities than the PluroGel alone. Researcher Adam Kramer, a Ph.D. candi- date, stated, “These results show that FL2- siRNA plus PluroGel is a highly promising wound treatment. By lowering FL2 levels in skin cells, the FL2-siRNA helps cells reach wound sites much faster than they ordinarily would—essential for minimizing scarring and preventing wounds from becoming chronic. And by hydrating wounds and inhibiting microbes, PluroGel offers important addi- tional wound-healing benefits.” THE BOTTOM LINE… Wound care is fast-evolving. While we’d like to prevent wounds from occurring in the first place, we also need to stay on top of treatments – and it appears as if we’ve got plenty of up-and-coming options. n Krystina is a 30-something RN, BSN, CDE who has worked in a variety of nursing disciplines, from telemetry to allergy/immunotherapy to most recently, diabetes education. She is also a writer and has enjoyed expanding her writing career over the past several years. She balances her careers as a nurse and a writer with being a wife and a mother. She has a four year old son who is an inquisitive, energetic little guy who is up for anything. She also enjoys reading, travel- ing, cooking, baking, and yoga (both practicing and teaching). RESOURCES Albert Einstein College of Medicine. (2018, October 25). Novel combination therapy pro- motes wound healing. Retrieved from https:// medicalxpress.com/news/2018-10-combi- nation-therapy-wound.html American Professional Wound Care Association. (2017, October 12). New study demonstrates the economic costs; Medicare policy implications of chronic wounds. Retrieved from https://www.apwca. org/news/5310449 Lacchia, Anthea. (2018, September 5). Scientists find way of treating skin wounds without surgery. Retrieved from https:// www.theguardian.com/science/2018/sep/05/ scientists-find-way-of-treating-skin-wounds- without-surgery Wille, Chris. (2018, December 31). Medical technology startup’s products show fast-act- ing ‘breakthrough innovation’. Retrieved from https://www.heraldtribune.com/ news/20181231/healing-power-of-omega- oils-on-skin-wounds |  WOUND CARE