Recent study shows potential for fucoidan in polyelectrolyte multilayers for wound healing

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A new study¹ explores the potential of fucoidan for wound healing when incorporated into biopolymer polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs). In the study, the popular biopolymer chitosan, was combined with the polysaccharide fucoidan. Fucoidan has been shown in previous research to act as a heparin-mimic to inhibit coagulation. The new study assessed the ability of fucoidan to bind fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), a signaling protein, within a fucoidan/chitosan polyelectrolyte multilayer structure.

PEMs have great potential in areas of wound healing and drug delivery, and the new study strengthens the case for fucoidan as a promising candidate for the development of new materials for use in the medical device sector. “This latest research has demonstrated the successful inclusion of FGF-2 into a stable multilayer, which sheds new light on the pathways by which wound healing systems might be developed,” said Marinova’s senior chemist and a co-author of the paper, Sam Karpiniec, PhD, in a press release.

Reference

1. Benbow NL et al. “Incorporation of FGF-2 into pharmaceutical grade fucoidan/chitosan polyelectrolyte multilayers.” Marine Drugs, vol. 18, no. 11 (2020)