The Wound Institute® Launches Educational Course on Dynamic Reciprocity

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wound Institute today announced the launch of a new educational module "Dynamic Reciprocity in Wound Healing," an online course designed to help practicing wound care specialists better understand the role that dynamic reciprocity is thought to play in the physiology of wound healing.

Dynamic reciprocity refers to the ongoing, bi-directional interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). In order for most cells to survive and function, they must be attached to the ECM, which is the structural and functional complex that surrounds cells and binds them in tissue. Dynamic cell-matrix interactions are ongoing at all times in living organisms, including during wound healing. Difficult-to-heal or chronic wounds exhibit many defects that can lead to disrupted interactions between cells and the ECM.

"The extracellular matrix not only provides structural support for cells, but also influences cell behavior which, in turn, influences the composition and structure of the extracellular matrix," explains Ira Herman, PhD, tenured professor and director, Center for Innovations in Wound Healing Research, Tufts University School of Medicine, director, Cellular and Molecular Physiology Program, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, and faculty advisor. "The disruption in normal cell-extracellular matrix interactions may occur at a variety of different points in the wound healing process, leading to downstream effects on other dynamic, reciprocal interactions that ultimately delay or preclude healing."

Chronic wounds (e.g., pressure ulcers, vascular ulcers and diabetic ulcers) are a major health care burden, yet the key factor(s) that cause wounds to fail to heal are not well understood. During normal wound healing, interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix are continually changing in a reciprocal and dynamic manner that regulates the phases of healing and determines the outcome of the repair process. In difficult-to-heal or chronic wounds, this process--called dynamic reciprocity--becomes disrupted and the wound fails to proceed through the sequential phases of healing in a timely fashion. Although dynamic reciprocity occurs in these wounds, it doesn't proceed in the expected sequence and doesn't result in the normal pattern of healing. Currently, clinicians do not have diagnostic markers to evaluate the status of dynamic reciprocity processes in their patients' wounds.

The educational module emerged from the Dynamic Reciprocity Work Group (DRWG), a scientific exploration group convened by Healthpoint in 2008. The charter of the DRWG is to promote basic and clinical research related to the dynamic reciprocity of wound healing in order to yield relevant insights into (i) wound etiology, (ii) wound pathophysiology/progression, (iii) potential diagnostic criteria/methods and (iv) treatment interventions and strategies.

"We are proud to support this notable educational course examining dynamic reciprocity as a scientific framework for understanding the mechanisms surrounding both normal and dysfunctional wound healing," commented Komel Grover, Director of Medical Education at Healthpoint Biotherapeutics. "Knowledge of dynamic reciprocity may help promote a more basic and thorough understanding of how wounds heal, and of the disruptions that influence the persistence of chronic or non-healing wounds."

The course is made available at no cost to clinicians and can be accessed at www.TheWoundInstitute.com.

About Dynamic Reciprocity

Dynamic reciprocity is a scientific construct that describes the interactions between cells and their surrounding extracellular matrix. The term was first coined in the early 1980s by developmental cell biologists who recognized that cells and the extracelluar matrix constantly communicated with one another, and that this communication was continuously updated in response to conditions in and around the cells. This dynamic interaction was shown to be necessary in order for cells to maintain their normal structure and function, as well as for new tissue development.

Conversely, a disruption in normal dynamic reciprocity is thought to contribute to the pathophysiology of conditions ranging from certain cancers to impaired wound healing. Thus, greater understanding of the alterations of dynamic reciprocity in disease states represents an important area of scientific inquiry that could contribute to improved methods for diagnosis and treatment.

About The Wound Institute®

Since its inception in 2005, The Wound Institute has become the industry leader for interactive continuing wound care education provided at no cost to its membership of 35,000-plus healthcare professionals. The Wound Institute features comprehensive, research-based courses that assist healthcare providers in bridging the gap between knowledge and practice. With its richly animated programs, The Wound Institute offers an interactive and innovative teaching style to its membership, which consists of physicians, surgeons, podiatrists, nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists and nursing home administrators.

The Wound Institute partners with well-regarded knowledge leaders as faculty advisors to deliver disease-based education and enhanced practical treatment information. The educational offerings are designed to accommodate the preferences and workplace demands of healthcare professionals by allowing physicians and non-physician clinicians to complete courses at their own pace. The Wound Institute also serves as a conduit for accredited education whereby users may choose to be directed to a third-party site, register for courses that carry the CE/CME/CPE designation and, upon successful completion, receive the appropriate accreditation hours for their course work.

Made possible by the support of Healthpoint Biotherapeutics, The Wound Institute is in its sixth year as a provider of objective, educational modules and continuing education for the wound care medical community—and, most recently, for patients and their caregivers, as well. To access any of the modules, register at www.TheWoundInstitute.com.

About Healthpoint Biotherapeutics

Healthpoint Biotherapeutics is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel, cost-effective solutions for tissue repair and healing. The company's diversified research and development strategy is presently centered around therapeutic enzymes, biologics and next-generation cell- and cell-matrix based therapies for the prevention and treatment of acute, chronic and burn-related wounds. Currently marketed products include Collagenase SANTYL® Ointment and OASIS® Wound Matrix. Healthpoint Biotherapeutics is also committed to advancing the care and treatment of wounds through support of industry leading continuing education from The Wound Institute®. To learn more about this comprehensive and award winning educational resource, please visit TheWoundInstitute.com. Healthpoint Biotherapeutics is a DFB Pharmaceuticals, Inc., affiliate company, and is based in Fort Worth, Texas. For more information, visit the company website at www.Healthpoint.com.

HEALTHPOINT, SANTYL, THE WOUND INSTITUTE and THEWOUNDINSTITUTE.COM are registered trademarks of Healthpoint, Ltd.

OASIS is a registered trademark of Cook Biotech, Inc.

SOURCE Healthpoint Biotherapeutics