Bioinspired Mucoadhesive, Drug-Eluting Patch Appears Suitable for Laryngotracheal Wound Coverage

by Linda Kossoff •

Would a bioinspired mucoadhesive patch used as a laryngotracheal wound coverage device permit suture-less wound coverage and also allow drug delivery?

BOTTOM LINE

The devised novel, suture-less patch is a mucoadhesive platform suitable to laryngeal and tracheal anatomy with drug delivery capability.

BACKGROUND: Closure of penetrating wounds to the larynx, trachea, and esophagus is complicated by the area’s anatomy, mucus and secretions, exposure to organisms, and the need for air- and water-tight closure. Commonly used closure techniques are primary closure and overlay with adjacent muscle tissue, but novel biomimetic material composites show promise.

STUDY DESIGN: In vitro, ex vivo, and cadaveric testing.

SETTING: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.

SYNOPSIS: Researchers set out to synthesize a flexible, mucoadhesive laryngotracheal patch that would be capable of drug delivery for further use in the esophagus and laryngotracheal complex. In creating the adhesive patches, the researchers adapted the textile industry’s technologies of flocking and electrospinning and drew on new advances in the use of biomimetic materials as well as recent work leveraging the mechanism that geckos and mussels use to attach to wet, irregular surfaces. The researchers used in vitro, ex vivo, and cadaveric testing of their self-adhering patch. The resulting novel patch effectively delivered a sustained release of corticosteroid over 28 days while also providing an initial burst release. Moreover, the adhesive properties of the patch prevented unintentional dislodgement. The authors concluded that their preliminary testing of the patch supports the translational potential of this technology for further preclinical evaluation. Study limitations included the differences in tracheal microenvironment between the in vivo and ex vivo counterparts, and the fact that optimal concentration for continuous steroidal delivery to laryngotracheal wounds remains unknown.

CITATION: Miar S, Dion GR, Montelongo S, et al. Development of a bioinspired, self-adhering, and drug-eluting laryngotracheal patch. Laryngoscope. 2021;131:1958-1966.