Wound Healing Clinical Trials and Research

National Healing Corporation's model of educating all clinicians, and utilizing common forms, policies, treatment algorithms and data elements lends itself to an ideal, homogenous platform for multi-center trial research among NHC managed wound healing centers nationwide.

NHC has set a priority on translational research with a bench-to-bedside-to-community approach and offers companies wishing to do multi-center trial research an opportunity to participate in research projects involving chronic wound patients or hyperbaric oxygen patients.

Largest Chronic Wound Tissue Bank and Database

NHC and its research partner The Ohio State University have worked together to establish a chronic wound tissue bank for the purposes of doing genomic research. Tissue biopsies from NHC managed wound centers have contributed to a tissue bank which samples are supported with clinical information including healing times of these patients. The data in the tissue bank has resulted in the world's most complete catalog of healing and non-healing responses cross-indexed across wound types and patient conditions. A National Institutes of Health grant is pending to use this collection of specimens and clinical information from NHC managed wound centers along with information from other databases to build a research model to serve as a resource for wound researchers from multiple academic settings.

Gene Screen Study

Transcriptome-Wide Analysis of Blood Vessels Laser Capture From Human Skin and Chronic Wound-Edge Tissue published in the September 4, 2007 issue of Proceedings of National Academy of Science was based upon research with the NHC chronic wound tissue bank and database. A team of scientists at The Ohio State University created a new methodology using a laser to capture a complete genome-wide screening of blood vessel cells in actual diseased states. Previous methods of cell biology research removed cells from the diseased environment into a culture dish. The new approach identifies blood vessels in less than five minutes followed by a rapid robot-assisted process that collects tissue which can be subjected to genome-wide screening. The study found that genes thought to be uniquely expressed in cancer were also present in wounds. Those genes have not previously been studied in wound healing. Understanding the vascular supply to wounds has implications for hastening wound healing as well as for starving cancerous tumors.

Research Supporting Best Practices

NHC is a leader in providing cost-effective wound solutions for hospitals. The Ohio State University Comprehensive Wound Center, an NHC managed wound center, and OSU researchers published Human Skin: A Major Snowballing Threat to Public Health and the Economy in the November 2009 issue of Wound Repair and Regeneration. The research detailed the estimated excess of $25 billion spent annually on the treatment of chronic wounds and the burden that is rapidly growing due to increasing health care costs, an aging population and a sharp rise in the incidence of diabetes and obesity worldwide.

Research in Biological Tissue

NHC managed wound care centers have participated in several studies utilizing biological tissue. One international study that was the largest of its kind, examined the use of a new product to help heal patients with venous leg ulcers.

In another study, a product that is already used for the patient with a diabetic foot ulcer is being researched for use in patients with venous insufficiency. The goal of this international study is to seek FDA approval to expand the indications of this product.

Research In New Innovative Wound Devices

Several NHC managed wound centers have participated in a research project for a new negative pressure wound therapy device. This project is comparing the outcomes with a new, non-powered NPWT device with that of the standard device currently used in the clinics.

Studies Examining Factors Relating to Chronic Wounds

NHC and The Ohio State University are currently planning publication of studies regarding race and ethnicity as they relate to wounds as well as a pilot study on obstructive sleep apnea and its prevalence in the chronic wound population.