Research interests in the Plastic Surgery Research Laboratory fall into three major areas. One focus is to investigate the role of an over-exuberant neutrophil response in the pathophysiology of chronic wounds. Neutrophils are a source of large amounts of proteases and oxidative products that provide protection form invading pathogens. However, when present in excessive amounts, these same proteases and oxidants can also cause tissue damage. These observations have led to a collaborative effort with the Southern Regional Research Center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to design new types of dressings with the goal of controlling the proteolytic and oxidative environment of chronic wounds.
Several questions remain to be answered.
A second focus involves determining the mechanisms involved in wound contraction. Wound contraction is the process by which edges of a wound are drawn toward the center. Though often a favorable occurrence during repair, there are many instances where this process becomes pathologic. These include burn contracture, compression contracture in cirrhosis and post surgical stricture formation. To address questions regarding contraction, this laboratory has developed a singularly unique model.