A team of researchers at the University of South Australia has developed a chronic wound treatment method that involves plasma-activated hydrogel therapy (PAHT).

The researchers explain that using plasma to treat chronic interior wounds and diabetic foot ulcers means that antibiotics, and subsequently, antibiotic resistance, might be avoided.

To treat the wounds, PAHT uses a chemical combination of oxidants — reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) — that reportedly inhibits infection and speeds up the healing process for chronic wounds.

Specifically, the team found that PAHT was particularly effective at destroying common bacteria such as E. coli and P. aeruginosa.

In addition to treating diabetic foot ulcers and interior wounds, the researchers also suggest that the approach might be used in the treatment of all types of chronic wounds and internal infections.

“A major advantage of our PAHT technology is that it can be used for treating all wounds. It is an environmentally safe treatment that uses the natural components in air and water to make its active ingredients, which degrade to non-toxic and biocompatible components,” the team added.

The researchers also believe that the PAHT approach could potentially be used in the future to treat cancerous tumors by activating drugs held within gels injected into the body, thereby offering a targeted approach wherein active ingredients are delivered to tumors over time.

An article detailing the PAHT approach, “Electrochemically Enhanced Antimicrobial Action of Plasma-Activated Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Hydrogel Dressings,” appears in the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

For more on the PAHT approach, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of the University of South Australia.