Graduation Semester and Year
Fall 2025
Language
English
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering
Department
Bioengineering
First Advisor
Kytai T. Nguyen, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Yi Hong, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
He Dong, Ph.D.
Fourth Advisor
Jun Liao, Ph.D.
Fifth Advisor
Hao Xu, Ph.D.
Abstract
Chronic wounds pose a significant challenge for healthcare systems worldwide, affecting approximately 1% of the global population and severely impacting their quality of life. The majority (90%) of chronic wounds present with biofilm development, which in turn is increasing the prevalence of polymicrobial infections, so there is an urgent need to develop antimicrobial treatments that not only address infections but also promote wound healing. Conventional treatments are often ineffective in eradicating biofilms and fostering optimal healing conditions. Therefore, in this work, we developed an antimicrobial photocatalytic/photothermal nanocomposite system designed to disrupt biofilms and facilitate wound healing, thereby addressing current limitations. The nanocomposite system was formulated using photocatalytic/photothermal polydopamine metal oxide nanoparticles (PDA-PMO NPs) and a dual-polymer chitosan/alginate hydrogel (CA/PDA-PMO-NC). The system was evaluated against planktonic bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), the most common species found in chronic wound biofilms, and a polymicrobial biofilm composed of P. aeruginosa, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). CA/PDA-PMO-NC demonstrated to have optimal psychochemical properties to promote wound healing, showing a uniform pore size of 25.46±8.44 μm, optimal porosity (43.72±9.27%), rheological properties resembling the skin with a storage modulus (G’) value from 600-4000 Pa. CA/PDA-PMO-NC also exhibited a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of 516.32±3.19 g/m2/24 hours, which is optimal to maintain adequate moisture levels at the wound site while allowing for efficient exudate management in a wound with moderate exudate. Furthermore, the combination of blue light (BL) and near-infrared (NIR) irradiation had an antimicrobial synergistic effect, which was enhanced by the incorporation of CA/PDA-PMO-NC, having a 5.6±0 log10 reduction against a polymicrobial biofilm. Hence, CA/PDA-PMO-NC have proven to have antimicrobial and wound healing promoting properties, making it a suitable alternative for chronic wound treatment.
Keywords
Chronic Wounds, biofilms, photocatalytic and photothermal nanocomposites, wound healing, antimicrobial nanocomposites.
Disciplines
Biomaterials | Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Guerrero Rodriguez, Ingrid D., "DEVELOPMENT OF AN ANTIMICROBIAL PHOTOCATALYTIC/PHOTOTHERMAL NANOCOMPOSITE SYSTEM FOR CHRONIC WOUNDS" (2025). Bioengineering Dissertations. 205.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/bioengineering_dissertations/205
Comments
This work was supported by the National Institute of Health (Grant RO1HL158204-02S1), UT Arlington STEM Teaching/Research Assistant Fellowship, Mr. and Mrs. Mortiz, North Texas Coalition against Human Trafficking, the Alfred and Janet Potvin Award, the Franklin Alexander Scholarship, Mr. and Mrs. Blanton, and the National Science Foundation Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) (NSF DMR-2425164).