Abstract 98: Photochemical Tissue Passivation (PTP) Prevents Contracture of Full Thickness Wounds

PURPOSE: Large surface area wounds, resulting from burns, trauma, or iatrogenic injury, often result in significant scarring and wound contracture. Despite treatment with any of the currently available gold-standard therapies, contracture can still develop as a sequelae of the process of normal wound healing, specifically, myofibroblast activity. Photochemical Tissue Passivation (PTP) is a process that induces collagen cross-linking after a tissue is painted with photosensitizing dye and then exposed to visible light. PTP has also been shown to limit myofibroblast activity in healing surgical wounds. PTP is easy to perform and can be complete in minutes, and has been established as a safe treatment modality in animal and human studies. We hypothesize that PTP treatment to wounds can significantly decrease the morbidities associated with wound contracture by reinforcing the wound bed with collagen cross-linking and limiting the fibrotic response during wound healing.