BME.06 – Topical Skin Care System for Chronic Wounds using NOVEX-AMG

• Rudra Anumala
• Mahnoor Arshad
• Ikram Isa
• Angelique Isaguirre
• Nithya Parthasarathi

Chronic wounds, such as diabetic ulcers, present significant challenges in healthcare due to their susceptibility to infections and poor healing outcomes. Traditional antibiotic treatments face growing issues of bacterial resistance, necessitating the exploration of alternative antimicrobial solutions. However, existing commercial options often lack specificity or exhibit limitations in effectiveness and usability. Our solution addresses the critical need to prevent skin infections in diabetic patients with ulcer wounds by creating an efficient and user-friendly topical skin care cream. We aim to achieve this goal by designing a polymer-based skin care system. This system incorporates NOVEX-AMG, a key additive, to effectively mitigate the risk of skin infections. Our verification protocol involved testing the antimicrobial activity of cream formulations by incorporating different concentrations of NOVEX-AMG and using the Time-Kill Test noted in ASTM standard protocols to specifically evaluate the reduction of E. coli bacteria over varying periods of time. Results from the Time-Kill test do suggest that the creams containing varying concentrations of NOVEX-AMG possess antimicrobial activity (p=0.0059). However, statistical analysis further reflects that the correlation between time and NOVEX-AMG concentration is not statistically significant (p=0.53) which could indicate that NOVEX-AMG may reduce bacteria count instantaneously. Our innovative antimicrobial wound care solution has the potential to redefine the approach to managing chronic wounds. By overcoming the limitations of conventional antibiotic treatments and harnessing the antimicrobial properties of NOVEX-AMG, our work represents a step forward in improving treatments for chronic wound infections.