WOUNDCOM

(WOUND COllagen Managment)

We make use of molecules for tissue repair in the same way the body does!

Woundcom, our wound dressing, harnesses the power of collagen-based technology to promote efficient tissue repair, offering a solution for challenging tissue disruptions and at the same time preventing bacterial growth.

Introduction

Wounds typically heal smoothly, but the healing process isn’t always trouble-free. Complications in the healing can go unnoticed, causing increased inflammation and discomfort from the wound. If not managed properly, they may even be life threatening. In some instances, underlying issues like impaired circulation can impede the healing process due to insufficient nutrients and cellular support. These problematic wounds are often referred to as hard-to-heal wounds. These wounds are especially susceptible to bacterial infections. Studies have revealed that bacteria are commonly found in most challenging-to-heal wounds.

Woundcom is a bovine collagen scaffold enriched with peptides to enhance the healing process and provide the scaffold with antimicrobial properties to prevent bacteria from growing in the product.

Our Product

Woundcom is composed of a bovine collagen scaffold with the addition of two synthetic peptides that are exact replicas of peptide sequences present in the globular von Willebrand factor-like part of the alpha-3 chain in human collagen type VI.

The collagen scaffold is manufactured through a process securing reconstitution of a stratified native collagen matrix, structurally alike dermis. Native collagen-based products have been proven to be beneficial in challenging surgical situations, skin reconstructions as well as to restart halted hard-to-heal wounds. The bovine collagen scaffold, resembling dermis, supports cell migration aggregates platelets and modulate matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) to restore a healthier wound environment. One of the peptides has the ability to stimulate proliferation of fibroblasts which suggest a more efficient tissue repair than with only the collagen scaffold. In addition, both peptides are antibacterial and effective both on gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains, non-resistant and drug resistant. This protects the scaffold from bacterial growth.

Hard-to-heal wounds are a significant concern to around 200 million people worldwide. These hard-to-heal wounds are an example of wounds that decreases patients’ quality of life and generates high medical costs related to the long recovery or the lack of recovery.

Woundcom is a class III medical device according to the Medical Device Regulation (EU 2017/745).

Patent

The WOUNDCOM project was initially developed at Lund University and under Swedish law, all rights to the project belonged to the inventors who co-founded Colzyx. All the rights to present and future inventions related to the original invention have been transferred to the company. Colzyx filed a PCT application titled “Novel polypeptides and medical uses thereof” that became public in July 2017 (WO2017125585A3). Further patent applications have been filed in order to develop the intellectual property rights associated with molecules derived from human collagen VI and the application of these. 

Literature

  1. Collagen VI is a subepithelial adhesive target for human respiratory tract pathogens.
    Bober M, Enochsson C, Collin M, Mörgelin M. J Innate Immun. 2010;2(2):160-6. doi: 10.1159/000232587
  2. Collagen VI Encodes Antimicrobial Activity: Novel Innate Host Defense Properties of the Extracellular Matrix
    Suado M. Abdillahi, Selma Balvanović, Maria Baumgarten, Matthias Mörgelin
    J Innate Immun. 2012 Jun; 4(4): 371–376. Published online 2012 Mar 2. doi: 10.1159/000335239
  3. Collagen VI Is Upregulated in COPD and Serves Both as an Adhesive Target and a Bactericidal Barrier for Moraxella catarrhalis
    Suado M. Abdillahi, Marta Bober, Sara Nordin, Oskar Hallgren, Maria Baumgarten, Jonas Erjefält, Gunilla Westergren-Thorsson, Leif Bjermer, Kristian Riesbeck, Arne
    Egesten, Matthias Mörgelin
    J Innate Immun. 2015 Aug; 7(5): 506–517. Published online 2015 Apr 25. doi: 10.1159/000381213
  4. The Pulmonary Extracellular Matrix Is a Bactericidal Barrier Against Haemophilus influenzae in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Implications for an
    in vivo Innate Host Defense Function of Collagen VI
    Suado M. Abdillahi, Ramesh Tati, Sara L. Nordin, Maria Baumgarten, Oskar Hallgren, Leif Bjermer, Jonas Erjefält, Gunilla Westergren-Thorsson, Birendra Singh,
    Kristian Riesbeck, Matthias Mörgelin
    Front Immunol. 2018; 9: 1988. Published online 2018 Aug 31. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01988
  5. Collagen VI Contains Multiple Host Defense Peptides with Potent In Vivo Activity.
    Abdillahi SM, Maaß T, Kasetty G, Strömstedt AA, Baumgarten M, Tati R, Nordin SL, Walse B, Wagener R, Schmidtchen A, Mörgelin M. J Immunol. 2018 Aug
    1;201(3):1007-1020. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1700602