# Antimicrobial dermal matrices to promote infection free wound closure in cutaneous wounds

> **NIH NIH R44** · GEL4MED, INC. · 2020 · $1,699,924

## Abstract

Overview: This Fast track project aims to test the feasibility of a self-assembly peptide hydrogel for the
treatment of wounds. Wound care is currently an expensive, multistep process in which wounds are treated
with sequential products to 1) remove pathogens with antibiotics, 2) promote a healthy cellular environment
through hydrogel application, and 3) close the wound with skin substitutes. Thus, the proposed product
G4Derm is capable of simultaneously removing drug resistant pathogens through biophysical disruption of
bacterial membranes, while promoting host tissue regeneration without added antibiotics or biologics.
This product can be used in inpatient and outpatient wound care clinics to heal patients infected with drug
resistant bacteria, and to reduce the 100,000 amputations performed each year in the US due to chronic
wounds.
Key words: tissue regeneration, infections, wound healing, biomaterials, antimicrobial
Areas of application: tissue regeneration and repair, wound healing, infections
Subtopic name: Biomedical (BM) Technologies
Intellectual Merit: This Fast track proposal will generate 510(k) enabling data demonstrating safety and
efficacy of G4Derm as an antimicrobial cell-scaffolding matrix that is simultaneously toxic to antibiotic-
resistant bacterial strains, while remaining conducive to tissue regeneration. The current product uses a
charge-based mechanism to lyse bacterial membranes upon contact and has a porous structure to promote
cellular infiltration and cell attachment.
Broader Impact: The broader impact of this Fast track proposal would be the development of a novel
antimicrobial mechanism that can eliminate even drug-resistant bacterial strains from infected wounds.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Report, antibiotic-resistant bacteria will cause
serious infections in 2 million Americans each year, resulting in an estimated 23,000 deaths annually. Our
ability to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria is diminishing, and the pipeline of new potential antibiotic drugs
is growing lean. Only 9 new antibiotics have received FDA approval since 1998, of which only 2 of these
incorporated novel mechanisms of action. Hence, the proposed product offers the unprecedented
combination of simultaneous bacterial elimination while promoting tisue regeneration. As the antibacterial
mechanism is biophysical, bacteria are unlikely to develop resistance to this product.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10001816
- **Project number:** 4R44GM133305-02
- **Recipient organization:** GEL4MED, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Manav Mehta
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $1,699,924
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10001816

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10001816, Antimicrobial dermal matrices to promote infection free wound closure in cutaneous wounds (4R44GM133305-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10001816. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*