Lying or sitting in one position for too long can disrupt blood flow and even damage tissue.
As a result, in hospitals and long-term care homes across Canada, people with limited mobility often develop pressure injuries known as bed sores.
Such non-healing wounds—among the most common type of wound encountered in healthcare—are a “silent epidemic” in Canada, according to one prominent Vancouver-area doctor.
In some cases, “Patients may suffer for many months with sores that never fully heal,” laments David Granville, a cofounder of viDA Therapeutics, a B.C. firm creating novel drugs for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases based on cutting-edge work in the field of granzymes.
“And if they do heal,” he continues, “the healed wound is usually much weaker—leaving it prone to tearing or further injury.”
“Chronic wounds take a huge toll on patients, caregivers, and the healthcare system,” agrees Dr. Heather Mak of Vancouver Coastal Health.
Dr. Granville, who serves his company as chief scientific officer, has assembled a team to innovate a solution.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health are creating a topical, plant-based gel that could help these chronic wounds heal faster with improved strength to prevent recurrence.
Specifically, a protein called Granzyme B accumulates in aging skin and slow-healing wounds. By blocking Granzyme B with natural, plant-based compounds, researchers believe that wounds will heal both quicker and more completely, thereby lowering risk of reopening.
“By using safe, plant-derived compounds that block the enzyme responsible for this damage, we hope to restore the skin’s ability to repair itself and help people heal permanently,” remarked Granville, who also functions as Executive Director of the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute.
Granville’s team will test three Health Canada-approved compounds in topical gels using a standard model of pressure injury, and results will form the basis for clinical trials and future healthcare use.
“By combining clinical insight with discovery research, we’re moving toward practical solutions that can improve recovery and quality of life,” Mak stated.
The project also involves Genome British Columbia’s Genesolve program, which supports translational research that bridges discovery and application in the province’s life sciences sector.
“This project embodies what our Genesolve program was created to do: turn cutting edge discoveries into tangible health benefits,” explains Dr. Federica Di Palma, Chief Scientific Officer at Genome BC. “In this case, delivering real benefits to the healthcare system and patients.”
ViDA was founded by Granville alongside chief executive officer Alistair Duncan in 2008.
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