The Joy Lab designs polyesters capable of directing immune cell polarization, thereby influencing the immune response. Such biomaterials, independently or in synergy with immune directing agents, are being used for the design of scaffolds for wound healing applications.

Chronic non-healing wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), are a significant healthcare cost. About 30% of the 500 million diabetic patients worldwide will experience such ulcers in their lifetime. Diabetic wounds heal poorly due to a disruption in the normal progression from inflammation to proliferation and remodeling, which is caused by immune and cellular dysfunction, resulting in chronic wounds. The intricate coordination of cytokines, growth factors, and immune cells is crucial for effective healing, making the replication of this process in a medical product challenging. Current treatments for chronic wounds are cheap but ineffective cotton dressings, or expensive biological substitutes with good functionality but limited accessibility because of the high cost. Therefore, there is a significant unmet need for affordable, effective alternatives to support natural healing and tissue regeneration.

We are designing 3D-printed polyester scaffolds as substitutes for bioengineered skin, such as Apligraf. These scaffolds are designed to have the same wound healing and tissue regenerative capabilities as bioengineered skin but at a fraction of the cost. This can transform the management of diabetic wounds, infected wounds, and burn wounds.    

Relevant publications from our lab: