Developing a realistic animal-free chronic wound infection model

The Problem 

Chronic wounds are a persistent, and painful, problem for millions of people. In the UK alone, it’s estimated that 2.8 million people are living with a chronic wound. Unlike a simple cut or scrape, these wounds just won’t heal. They often become infected and can last for months or even years. This can have a serious impact on people’s quality of life, leading to pain, stress, and decreased mobility.

Despite being around 5.5% of the NHS’ healthcare costs, it remains a neglected area of research.

One reason for this is the difficulty in finding effective treatments. Chronic wounds become infected with bacteria, which form a protective layer called a biofilm. This shields the infection from antibiotics and the body’s immune system.

Most research has relied on animal ‘models’, which don’t accurately reflect how wounds behave in humans. There are two main scientific journals which specialise in wound healing research. Dr Maddocks estimates that these journals alone have published over 1,500 studies based on animal ‘models’ in the last 25 years. Each study is likely to use dozens of animals.

The Project 

Dr Maddocks and her team have grown a lab-based chronic wound model:

They started by growing several types of bacteria commonly found in wounds.

These bacteria were encouraged to form a biofilm, similar to what happens in real wounds.

To support the biofilm, the scientists used a gel-like material made from seaweed.

This allows researchers to study how bacteria behave in wounds and test potential treatments without the use of animals.

However, the model isn’t currently 100% animal-free. To simulate wound fluid, they use animal-derived ingredients. This includes collagen from cow skin and foetal bovine serum.

Our Innovation Grant scheme is empowering Dr Maddocks and her team to transition to a completely animal-free model of a human wound.

First, they’ll remove any animal-derived ingredients from the wound fluid recipe. Next, they’ll incorporate human skin cells into the system. This will allow the model to more closely resemble the complexities of an actual human wound.

Then, Sarah and her team plan to add immune cells into the system, better reflecting how a patient’s immune system would act in chronic wound healing.

The Potential 

To ensure a future where no animal suffers for science, it’s essential we replace animals in every stage of research. This research could be a crucial step towards this goal, as it will replace the use of live animals and animal-derived materials.

Once the model is complete, it will be made freely available to the scientific community. By doing this, Dr Maddocks aims to accelerate research into chronic wounds while promoting ethical scientific practices.