Two areas of current innovation highlight and honor my beloved husband, Dr. Joseph C. Salamone as well as the scientific team at Rochal Industries.<br/><br/>While the SARS-Cov-2/COVID-19 pandemic invaded our lives in 2019, chronic wound infection pandemics have been with humans since the beginning of humanity (e.g., leprosy). In the USA, chronic wounds are suffered by 6.7 million people with at least 90% being infected with microbes in a biofilm state. Wound infection exacerbates poor wound healing. Within a few hours of attaching to a surface, bacteria and fungi synthesize complex protective structures composed of at least polysaccharides, proteins, humic substances, lipids and nucleic acids which are strengthened by electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding and London dispersion forces. Biofilms are created to provide microbe sustainability in the experienced environment which means every biofilm is different in construct composition, density, and conformation. A synergistic set of chemicals was created and introduced to the market (2019/2020) to deconstruct diverse biofilms found in chronic wounds and kill the encased microbes using multiple chemical methods - without harming human cells/tissue. More recently, longer lasting deactivation of human coronavirus, including SARS-CoV- 2, on skin and other surfaces has been observed.<br/><br/>Further, for wounds to heal, necrotic tissue must be removed as this dead tissue is not only a microbe food source but also catalyzes further tissue degradation. Surgical methods, mechanical techniques, and current enzymatic products for debridement remove necrotic tissue but also remove and damage healthy tissue. Through out-of-the-box thinking, a completely different chemistry has been put into use to selectively remove dead tissue. Not only is the chemistry unique but the test methods for determining efficacy are unique.

Disruptive chemistry intertwined with biology to tackle wound healing obstacles

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.