Cold atmospheric plasma-activated clay-based oncogel for the management of wounds after melanoma excision

OPUS 29

Funding Organization: National Science Centre

Leader: Medical University of Lublin

Partner: Lublin University of Technology

Project title: Cold atmospheric plasma-activated clay-based oncogel for the management of wounds after melanoma excision

Agreement number: DEC-2025/57/B/NZ7/01373

Project implementation period: 01.01.2026 – 31.12.2029

Principal Investigator (Medical University of Lublin): dr Paulina Kazimierczak

Principal Co-investigator  (Lublin University of Technology) : prof. dr hab. inż. Wojciech Franus

Project value:  2 769 034,00 PLN

Funds granted for Medical University of Lublin: 2 017 758,00 PLN

Funds granted for Lublin University of Technology: 751 276,00 PLN

Abstract: The project is related to the disciplines of civil engineering, geodesy, and transportation. It utilizes research methods used to describe the internal structure of building materials (SEM, TEM, XRD). The project is focused on developing smart hydrogel dressing material (made of biopolymers: curdlan and/or chitosan) loaded with magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles-clay complex that aids the wound healing process in a personalized way tailored to the needs of specific patient, by either (1) activation with cold atmospheric plasma (CAP): treatment of chronic, infected, and burn wounds, wounds after skin cancer excision, acute wounds after invasive cosmetic procedures or (2) activation with pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF): treatment of diabetic wounds and venous ulcers or (3) application of CAP combined with PEMF for the management of hard-to-heal wounds of various etiology. Furthermore, the biomaterial will have different potential applications in clinical practice, as: (1) CAP/PEMF-activated external dressing material, (2) CAP-activated hydrogel face mask after invasive cosmetic procedures, or (3) CAP/PEMF-activated cell carrier (delivery system) in stem cell-based therapy of extensive burn wounds. The latter application assumes seeding of patients’ adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) on the hydrogel dressing followed by their stimulation with CAP and/or PEMF to accelerate healing process and reduce scarring.