Incidence of chronic wounds is constantly rising worldwide, but all currently available treatments are intended either to provide symptomatic relief or to assist cicatrization to some extent, but not to directly stimulate cellular growth. Physiologically, chronic wound healing simply requires cell growth to fill the injured cavity. To grow, our cells need to attach onto a cushion, called extracellular matrix (ECM), secreted by the mother cells and composed of multiple proteins. Recent scientific works prove that the concentration of certain matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is extremely high in all chronic wounds and, because of their proteolytic nature, some MMPs completely degrade the ECM, hindering cell attachment and cell growth. The aim of this study was to identify, neutralize, and eliminate these MMPs from the wound surface so as to design an effective treatment for chronic wounds. Methods: Acute and chronic models of human epithelial and fibroblast cells were prepared on a defined ECM cushion in vitro and MMPs were added in the culture medium to identify the MMPs causing ECM disintegration for each cell type. ECM-degrading MMPs were then incubated with selected procyanidin-rich plant extracts (PCDs) and cell growth was reanalyzed. Results: It was observed that: 1) multiple MMPs are involved in cellular matrix destruction; 2) ECM-destroying MMPs are specific with respect to cell type; and 3) specific PCDs may bind and neutralize selected MMPs. Conclusion: Topical application of specific plant PCDs to selectively neutralize ECMdestroying MMPs in acute and chronic wounds represents a novel approach for the treatment of superficial and deep skin wounds.

Background: Pharyngitis is caused principally by primary viral infection: virus growth causes lysis of throat mucosa cells, leading to inflammation, secondary bacterial infection, accumulation of contaminants on the throat, and clinical signs of sore throat infection. Currently available drugs only provide partial therapeutic action or relief. Since pharyngitis is a multifactorial condition, a multi target treatment should be more effective. We tested a novel hypertonic, highly osmotic, filmogen liquid bandage which can mechanically clean the throat surface to quickly alleviate the symptoms while also eliminating their causing pathogens. A clinical trial was conducted to evaluate its efficacy and safety.

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