Background

Chronic skin lesions represent a global health problem, affecting about 1-2% of the population. In Italy alone, chronic skin lesions afflict over 2 million people, including 30,000 children. They therefore have a considerable impact on patients' lives and the healthcare system as a whole. These lesions, which include venous ulcers, diabetic ulcers, and pressure ulcers, can arise from a variety of causes, including venous insufficiency, diabetes, prolonged immobilization, and other chronic conditions. 

Research in the field of advanced dressings can transform the landscape of chronic skin lesion care, offering innovative and highly effective solutions to accelerate the healing process and improve patients' quality of life. This research area encompasses a wide range of innovative approaches, from the design of advanced materials to new therapeutic methodologies. In this context, advanced dressings made from biocompatible materials must be designed to maintain a moist microenvironment, promote tissue repair processes, protect against exogenous infections, and maintain constant temperature and oxygen permeability. 

Objectives

BEST-DRESS project aims to:

1) produce advanced bilayered bioactive electrospun medical dressing for wound healing; 

2) organize a Summerschool for PhD students on topics related to the project.

1) The research will focus on two main areas: one dedicated to the development of advanced dressings as biomedical devices, and the other to their characterization. The project will culminate in the production of an advanced dressing that features significantly enhanced persistence and effectiveness, along with a low environmental and economic impact, demonstrating strong potential for pilot or semi-industrial scale development. 

These innovative devices will serve a dual purpose: promoting the healing of damaged tissues and locally releasing pharmacologically active molecules in a controlled manner, thus acting as drug delivery systems. They will have potentials to significantly enhance patients' quality of life by reducing the frequency of medication administration at the injury site and minimizing the side effects of systemic therapies. Additionally, they will benefit the healthcare system by lowering costs and having a substantial industrial impact.

2) The educational activity planned foresees the organization of a Summerschool for young researchers and PhD Students 

The required skills of people working in the medical device development field are, among others,flexibility and multidisciplinary vision that demands a unique set of skills and knowledge. While pursuing a Ph.D. in this domain, students often encounter a formation gap – a disparity between traditional academic training and the practical skills required for successful innovation in medical devices. Bridging this gap is essential for producing well-rounded researchers capable of navigating the complexities of developing cutting-edge medical technologies favoring seamless transition from academia to industry. To this aim a summer school for young scientists and PhD students will be organized by UNIBAS, UNICT, and UNIME-OdRs in collaboration with invited biomedical and biomaterial companies for the WP4. The final goal will be to enhance awareness of the multi-faced aspects that translate a research result into an innovative product for healthcare.