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Russian scientists develop biocompatible polymer film that heals skin damage
SPbPU researchers have developed a new biocompatible film that treats skin damage caused by microbes and fungi. In experiments on mice, the material showed high antibacterial and antifungal activity with no significant side effects.
Scientists in Russia have developed a new material that could revolutionize the treatment of skin damage caused by microbes and fungi. Researchers at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) have produced a biocompatible film based on polyvinyl alcohol, offering an alternative to traditional wound dressings.
The research team worked with colleagues from the Center for Nanostructured Physics at ITMO University. The developed film is made from polyvinyl alcohol, a material already used in surgical threads, contact lenses, and food packaging.
Copper-based nanostructures enhance effectiveness
The material's antimicrobial and antifungal properties are achieved by adding HKUST-1 nanocrystals, which are copper-based metal-organic frameworks. Evgeniya Pochkaeva, a researcher from the SPbPU Laboratory of Nano- and Microencapsulation of Bioactive Substances, stated that these structures have proven effectiveness against common pathogens.
Pochkaeva said, "The uniqueness of the technology lies in capturing the optimal ratio between the polymer matrix and HKUST-1 nanocrystals. This allows us to achieve a synergistic effect and high biocompatibility in the laboratory sample."
No side effects observed in mouse experiments
The new material demonstrated high antibacterial and antifungal activity when applied to the skin of mice. It also showed the ability to "adapt" to the skin structure and caused no significant side effects in the test animals. The results of the study were published in the journal Applied Surface Science.
The material proved effective against common disease-causing agents such as the intestinal bacterium (Escherichia coli) and the hay bacterium (Bacillus subtilis). It also showed successful results against fungi of the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Rhodotorula rubra, and Saccharomyces boulardii, which are harmless to humans but are used as model organisms to test the activity of chemical substances.
Goal of mass production and import substitution
Alexander Timin, head of the SPbPU Laboratory of Nano- and Microencapsulation of Bioactive Substances, stated, "We can transfer the created material to mass production and scale the technology to make it a product that will ensure import substitution."
The study was carried out with the support of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education (FSEG-2025-0007) and the Russian Science Foundation (grant No. 25-73-10091).
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