Preventing and healing painful, chronic wounds through multidisciplinary R&D

Backed by an NHMRC Research Fellowship, Professor Allison Cowin, from the University of South Australia, is on a quest to improve the health outcomes for people suffering from chronic wounds. 

Describing wounds as “a spiralling epidemic affecting millions of people worldwide”, Professor Cowin and her team have developed a new diagnostic blood biomarker test and 2 new treatment approaches, using stem cells and targeted antibodies. In exciting news, they have progressed a stem cell coated dressing, Cypatch, through preclinical laboratory studies and into phase I/II clinical trials with industry partners, TekCyte and Cynata Therapeutics. The results show incredible active healing and Cynata have licensed the technology for further clinical trials and product development.

“We’ve been able to take it from the laboratory, with incredible materials and stem cell scientists, right through to clinical trials. To show over 65% improvement in healing of diabetic foot ulcers in 12 weeks and 80% by 24 weeks is absolutely amazing,” said Professor Cowin.

“For patients this means reduced pain and infection. It’s usually very difficult to get a wound to heal once it’s entered the chronic non-healing phase.

“Chronic wounds are an under recognised issue in Australian health care. For individuals with diabetes, the elderly, or those suffering from severe burns, there can be lifelong problems with healing,” said Professor Cowin.

Wound care costs the Australian health system over $4.5 billion per year¹. One in 4 people with diabetes will develop a diabetes-related foot ulcer and one in 5 with a moderate to severe foot ulcer will require a lower limb amputation². 

In another area close to her heart, Professor Cowin has worked for 15 years on Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare disease also known as ‘fragile skin’. She has created a new antibody treatment that improves healing and addresses internal blistering, a common issue for children with EB.

“I first heard about EB at a conference when I saw a baby with no skin on their legs. I remember thinking if you were changing a nappy on a baby and all you did was cause pain to that poor baby, then what sort of life was that?” she recalled, her voice tinged with emotion. 

“I decided there had to be something I could do as a wound healing person,” she said.

Continuing to push through the major challenge of getting people to appreciate that wound healing is important, Professor Cowin is grateful to NHMRC for funding this work.

“The material scientists, physicists, stem cell biologists, nanomedicine experts, and patients… they’ve all been part of it. To be able to build up projects that are useful, with a group of diverse people, is fulfilling,” said Professor Cowin.

Next steps

Professor Cowin’s main drive is to take the humanised antibody therapy to phase I/II clinical trials in patients with EB.

“We are also testing the biomarker in blood samples collected from diabetic patients with different levels of wound risk to confirm predictability and reliability. And we’re developing a cell-free secretome gel for the treatment of EB, which will be easy to use and provide tailored medication to promote healing responses,” said Professor Cowin.

While the prospect of improving diagnostic tools and treatments is a driving force behind her work, Professor Cowin is cognisant that research requires collaboration and community. She is continuing her efforts to support the Australasian wound and tissue repair society she began to foster a vibrant research community with career opportunities.

CIA: Professor Allison Cowin

Team: Dr Xanthe Strudwick, Dr Stuart Mills, Dr Chris Turner and Professor Rob Fitridge

Institution: University of South Australia

Grant information: Research Fellowship (2016–2021), $649,561.27.