Antimicrobial and immunostimulating composition

Abstract

A medical composition comprising an antimicrobially effective and immunostimulating amount of a combination of a β-glucan component and a silver-containing component is disclosed. The medical composition may be adapted for use topically or incorporated with a mesh material which may be further adapted for use as a wound dressing or as a surgical mesh. Methods for manufacturing the medical compositions described herein are also provided. The invention further provides methods for treating tissue damaged by wound or burn, and methods for treating or repairing tissue at a surgical site.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A medical composition for topical application, the composition comprising an antimicrobially effective and immunostimulating amount of a combination of a β-glucan component and a silver-containing component.  
     
     
         2 . The medical composition of  claim 1 , wherein the β-glucan component is a cereal-derived β-glucan compound.  
     
     
         3 . The medical composition of  claim 2 , wherein the β-glucan compound is derived from wheat, oats, barley, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         4 . The medical composition of  claim 2 , wherein the β-glucan compound has a molecular weight in the range of about 1 kDa to about 1500 kDa.  
     
     
         5 . The medical composition of  claim 2 , wherein the β-glucan compound has a molecular weight in the range of about 200 kDa to about 700 kDa.  
     
     
         6 . The medical composition of  claim 2 , wherein the β-glucan compound includes (1-3)(1-4) β-D-glucan.  
     
     
         7 . The medical composition of  claim 6 , wherein the β-glucan compound includes (1-3) linkages and (1-4) linkages in a proportion of about 30% (1-3) linkages and about 70% (1-4) linkages.  
     
     
         8 . The medical composition of  claim 1 , wherein the β-glucan component is derived from bacteria, yeast, fungi, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The medical composition of  claim 1 , wherein the silver-containing component includes elemental silver.  
     
     
         10 . The medical composition of  claim 1 , wherein the silver-containing component includes a silver compound selected from the group consisting of inorganic silver salts and organic silver salts.  
     
     
         11 . The medical composition of  claim 1 , wherein the silver-containing component includes a silver compound selected from the group consisting of silver nitrate, silver bromide, silver sulfate, silver fluoride, silver iodide, silver chloride, silver oxides, silver protein, silver lactate, silver citrate, and silver sulfadiazine.  
     
     
         12 . The medical composition of  claim 1 , wherein the silver-containing component is silver nitrate.  
     
     
         13 . The medical composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is a gel, a cream, a lotion, or an unguent.  
     
     
         14 . The medical composition of  claim 13 , wherein the composition is a cream or lotion comprising: 
 a cereal-derived β-glucan compound;    a solvent;    an emulsifying/solubilizing agent;    a suspending/viscosity-increasing agent; and    a preservative.    
     
     
         15 . The medical composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises: 
 about 0.05% to about 15% by weight of the β-glucan component; and    about 0.05% to about 70% by weight of the silver-containing component.    
     
     
         16 . The medical composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises: 
 about 0.05% to about 15% by weight of the β-glucan component; and    about 0.05% to about 15% by weight of the silver-containing component.    
     
     
         17 . The medical composition of  claim 16 , wherein the composition comprises: 
 about 0.05% to about 15% by weight of (1-3)(1-4) β-D-glucan; and    about 0.05% to about 15% by weight of silver nitrate.    
     
     
         18 . The medical composition of  claim 16 , wherein the composition is an ointment comprising about 50% to about 99.5% by weight of petrolatum.  
     
     
         19 . The medical composition of  claim 16 , wherein the composition is a gel comprising at least about 50% by weight of water and about 0.5% to about 15% by weight of a suspending/viscosity-increasing agent.  
     
     
         20 . The medical composition of  claim 16 , wherein the composition is a lotion comprising about 20% to about 90% by weight water and about 3% to about 60% by weight petrolatum.  
     
     
         21 . The medical composition of  claim 16 , wherein the composition is a lotion comprising, by weight: 
 about 0.05% to about 15% oat-derived β-glucan;    about 0.05% to about 15% silver nitrate;    about 20% to about 90% water;    about 3% to about 60% petrolatum;    about 2% to about 30% glycerol stearate; and    about 2% to about 20% PEG 100 stearate.    
     
     
         22 . The medical composition of  claim 16 , wherein the composition is a lotion comprising, by weight: 
 about 1% oat-derived β-glucan;    about 1.5% silver nitrate;    about 82.5% water;    about 10% petrolatum;    about 2.5% glycerol stearate; and    about 2.5% PEG 100 stearate.    
     
     
         23 . A wound dressing comprising 
 a mesh material; and    a composition comprising an antimicrobially effective and immunostimulating amount of a combination of a β-glucan component and a silver-containing component.    
     
     
         24 . The wound dressing of  claim 23 , wherein the wound dressing includes a first layer comprising the mesh material, and a second layer comprising the composition.  
     
     
         25 . The wound dressing of  claim 23 , wherein the mesh material comprises a synthetic material.  
     
     
         26 . The wound dressing of  claim 23 , wherein the mesh material comprises a synthetic material selected from the group consisting of polyester, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate, polyglycolic acid, polyglactin, and silicone.  
     
     
         27 . The wound dressing of  claim 23 , wherein the mesh material comprises a material derived from a human source, an animal source, or a cadaveric source.  
     
     
         28 . The wound dressing of  claim 23 , wherein the mesh material is impregnated with the composition.  
     
     
         29 . The wound dressing of  claim 23 , wherein the composition is coated onto the mesh material.  
     
     
         30 . The wound dressing of  claim 23 , wherein about 0.01% to about 50% by weight of the wound dressing is the β-glucan component, and about 0.01% to about 15% by weight of the wound dressing is the silver-containing component.  
     
     
         31 . The wound dressing of  claim 23 , wherein the composition includes about 10 parts by weight of cereal-derived β-glucan to about 3 parts by weight silver nitrate.  
     
     
         32 . The wound dressing of  claim 23 , wherein the composition further comprises collagenic protein.  
     
     
         33 . The wound dressing of  claim 32 , wherein about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the wound dressing is the collagenic protein.  
     
     
         34 . The wound dressing of  claim 23 , and further comprising, as an exterior surface, a polymeric vapor-permeable film in contact with the mesh material.  
     
     
         35 . A biocompatible mesh device for treating or repairing tissue at a surgical site, comprising: 
 a mesh matrix; and    a composition comprising an antimicrobially effective and immunostimulating amount of a combination of a β-glucan component and a silver-containing component.    
     
     
         36 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 35 , wherein the mesh matrix comprises a biocompatible synthetic material.  
     
     
         37 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 35 , wherein the mesh matrix comprises a biocompatible synthetic material selected from the group consisting of polyester, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate, polyglycolic acid, polyglactin, and silicone.  
     
     
         38 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 35 , wherein the mesh matrix comprises a material derived from a human source, an animal source, or a cadaveric source.  
     
     
         39 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 35 , wherein the mesh matrix is impregnated with the composition.  
     
     
         40 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 35 , wherein the composition is coated onto the mesh matrix.  
     
     
         41 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 35 , wherein the β-glucan component is a cereal-derived β-glucan compound.  
     
     
         42 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 41 , wherein the β-glucan compound is derived from wheat, oats, barley, or a combination thereof.  
     
     
         43 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 41 , wherein the β-glucan compound has a molecular weight in the range of about 1 kDa to about 1500 kDa.  
     
     
         44 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 41 , wherein the β-glucan compound has a molecular weight in the range of about 200 kDa to about 700 kDa.  
     
     
         45 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 41 , wherein the β-glucan compound includes (1-3)(1-4) β-D-glucan.  
     
     
         46 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 41 , wherein the β-glucan compound includes (1-3) linkages and (1-4) linkages in a proportion of about 30% (1-3) linkages and about 70% (1-4) linkages.  
     
     
         47 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 35 , wherein the silver-containing component includes elemental silver.  
     
     
         48 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 35 , wherein the silver-containing component includes a silver compound selected from the group consisting of inorganic silver salts and organic silver salts.  
     
     
         49 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 35 , wherein the silver-containing component includes a silver compound selected from the group consisting of silver nitrate, silver bromide, silver sulfate, silver fluoride, silver iodide, silver chloride, silver oxides, silver protein, silver lactate, silver citrate, and silver sulfadiazine.  
     
     
         50 . The biocompatible mesh device of  claim 35 , wherein the silver-containing component is silver nitrate.  
     
     
         51 . A method for treating tissue damaged by wound or burn, comprising the steps of: 
 cleaning a site of damaged tissue; and    applying topically to the site an antimicrobial and immunostimulating composition comprising a combination of a β-glucan component and a silver-containing component.    
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , and including repeating application of the composition intermittently until healing of the damaged tissue is complete.  
     
     
         53 . A method for treating tissue damaged by wound or burn, comprising the steps of: 
 a) cleaning a site of damaged tissue; and    b) covering the site with a wound dressing comprising 
 a mesh material; and  
 a composition comprising an antimicrobially effective and immunostimulating amount of a combination of a β-glucan component and a silver-containing component.  
   
     
     
         54 . A method for treating or repairing tissue at a surgical site comprising the step of applying to the surgical site a biocompatible mesh device, the mesh device comprising: 
 a mesh matrix; and    a composition comprising an antimicrobially effective and immunostimulating amount of a combination of a β-glucan component and a silver-containing component.    
     
     
         55 . A method for manufacturing a medical composition, comprising the step of combining, in an appropriate solvent, a β-glucan component and a silver-containing component in appropriate portions to provide an antimicrobial and immunostimulating composition.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the composition is suitable for topical application.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising the step of coating or impregnating a mesh material to provide a wound dressing.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising the step of impregnating a mesh matrix to provide a biocompatible mesh device suitable for treating or repairing tissue at a surgical site.