Controlling inflammatory response: Using innovative peptides and nanoparticle technology to significantly reduce the damage and impact on skin of 2nd and 3rd degree burns

2017年，NHS烧伤服务治疗了15,000多名烧伤和烫伤患者，费用超过2000万GB，其中最严重的烧伤治疗费用为95,000 GB。实际成本(医院治疗/手术费用/敷料/人员配备/生产力损失/对身心健康的影响)可能高达126,000 GB/患者，总计19亿GB/年。由此产生的急性炎症反应，虽然是愈合过程的基础，但如果延长，可能会非常有害，并导致疤痕和纤维化，这可能是毁容，功能限制，并可能需要翻修手术。严重烧伤可能在最初受伤后很长时间内表现出慢性、持续性的炎症，甚至可能由于全身炎症反应综合征而导致多器官衰竭。因此，烧伤后有效地控制炎症是当务之急。此外，虽然烧伤在受伤时是无菌的，但受伤组织的快速起泡和坏死很快就会使伤口暴露在病原体和感染风险之下。全球烧伤护理市场正在经历显著增长(到2026年，达到25亿GB)，主要由敷料(胶原/水凝胶)、传统烧伤膏和消炎药主导。这些目前的解决方案只专注于治疗烧伤的副作用，目前可用的抗炎药要么效果不佳，要么毒性大，导致胃肠道不适，肝/肾衰竭和其他严重的副作用。显然，对更安全、更特异/更有效的炎症疗法的医疗保健需求尚未得到满足。拟议的项目旨在开发一种使用专利、安全的纳米颗粒递送技术递送的新型多肽药物。与竞争对手的解决方案不同，这种方法将关闭炎症反应，并通过精细特异的炎症阻滞剂来防止炎症反应，因此只需极小的剂量就可以治愈严重的炎症性疾病。这将产生重大的社会经济影响，例如，减少NHS和患者的烧伤治疗时间和成本，减少NHS在无效的炎症性疾病治疗上的支出，并减少昂贵的健康并发症。到目前为止，工作重点是初步的体外测试，证明先导化合物具有高度特异性，可以切断炎症，防止炎症激活，并且纳米颗粒在人体细胞中是安全的。Carocell Bio已经获得了中级/大型制药公司的浓厚兴趣，使他们在6年内在许可和创收方面处于有利地位。现在至关重要的是Carocell Bio在技术上推进这一解决方案，该项目专注于开发TRL4，以评估其在人体体外组织研究中的有效性。该项目将为Carocell Bio带来显著的出口带动增长，大幅提高投资回报率，增加就业机会和进一步的研发投资机会。

NHS Burns Services treated more than 15,000 patients for burns and scalds in 2017 with costs exceeding £20million and the most severe burns costing £95,000 to treat. The true cost (hospital treatment/operative costs/dressings/staffing/lost productivity/physical and mental health implications) can reach ~£126,000/patient, totaling £1.9billion/year for the UK economy.The resultant acute inflammatory response, whilst fundamental to the healing process, when prolonged can be highly detrimental and lead to scarring and fibrosis which can be disfiguring, functionally restrictive and may require revisionary surgeries. Severe burns may display chronic, persistent inflammation long after initial injury and can even result in multiple organ failure due to systemic inflammatory response syndrome. Therefore, it is imperative that inflammation is effectively managed following burns injuries. Additionally, whilst burn injuries are sterile at time of injury, rapid blistering and necrosis of the injured tissue soon opens the wound up to pathogens and infection risk.The global burns care market is experiencing significant growth (£2.5billion by 2026), dominated by dressings (collagen/hydrogel), traditional burn creams and anti-inflammatory drugs. These current solutions focus only on treating the side-effects of burns, with currently available anti-inflammatories either poorly effective, toxic, causing GI upset, liver/kidney failure and other serious side effects. There is a clear unmet healthcare need for a safer, more specific/effective inflammatory therapeutic.The proposed project seeks to develop a novel peptide medicine delivered using a patented, safe nano-particle delivery technology. Unlike competing solutions this will switch off and prevent the inflammatory response with exquisitely specific inflammation blockers, so only tiny doses will be required to cure serious inflammatory diseases. This will generate significant socio-economic impacts e.g. reduced time and cost of burn treatment to the NHS and patients, reduce the amount the NHS spends on ineffective inflammatory disease treatment and reducing costly health complications.Work to date has focused on initial in-vitro testing demonstrating the lead compound is highly specific, switches off inflammation, prevents activation of inflammation and that nanoparticles are safe in humans' cells. Carocell Bio have already gained strong interest from mid-level/large pharma placing them in a strong position for licensing and revenue generation within 6 years. It is now critical Carocell Bio technically advance the solution with this project focusing on development to TRL4 to assess its efficacy in human ex-vivo tissue studies.The project will deliver significant export led growth for Carocell Bio, a substantial ROI, increased employment and further opportunity for R&D investment.