History: In February of 2003 the idea of a group of clinicians working together to determine the best practices in wound care was conceived. In July the first meeting of the co-founders (William Li, Vincent Li and Thomas Serena) was held at the Angiogenesis foundation in Boston. A core group of investigators plans to meet in late August of this year. We are in the process of choosing a scientific board and industry board.

Goal: To coordinate clinical studies by the wound care practice community in order to identify and validate innovative ways to optimize wound healing.

Next: We hope to have several clinical studies ready for patient participation by the end of this summer.

Patients: There are several new protocols currently in development. If participation in a clinical study is something which interests you we would be happy to place you on a patient mailing list. You may also check back at this site as often as you like; it is updated frequently.

Physicians: If you are a physician interested in referring patients to one of our wound care centers for participation in a clinical study please feel free to contact me at any time. I am also available for presentations concerning our research efforts.

In response to the overwhelming requests for our wound care clinics to participate in clinical and basic science research Dr. Serena founded NewBridge Medical research, a professional corporation dedicated to advancing the science of wound healing. The NewBridge corporate headquarters will be located along Crescent Park at the base of the new bridge crossing the Allegheny River into the town of Warren Pennsylvania.

NewBridge will headed-up by Antony Serena, author, businessman and architect.

Cindy Serena and Cris Beuger are two of the Study Coordinators at NewBridge Medical Research.

Clinical trials and studies are research. They involve the testing of new devices or medications to see if they are effective and safe. Our clinical trials are offered to patients who have chronic wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcerations. Patients may also have infections associated with wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers or minor burns or other breaks in the integrity of the skin.

Why sign up for clinical trials? The simplest answer is to help others who may develop the disease in the future. Without clinical trials medicine cannot advance. Our focus here at the Penn North Centers for Advanced Wound Care is on patient safety in clinical research. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality of care in the safest environment.

Below is a summary of the clinical trials and studies which are currently enrolling patients at our wound care clinics. It should be noted that not all studies are run at every clinic.

The Penn North Centers for Advanced Wound Care is dedicated to improving the health of its patients through the advancement of the science of wound healing. As we prepare to enter 2005, Penn North is launching several new research studies:

• Autolo-gel: Blood platelets are powerful healing agents. In this pivotal FDA trial we will be drawing blood, spinning it down using a special centrifuge, and placing it back on patients with diabetic foot ulcerations. We are pleased to be one of only 15 sites in the United States to have access to this new technology.
  
  
• Daibetic Foot Ulcerations and Venous Leg Ulcerations: Diabetic foot and venous leg ulcerations are prone to infection and to the build up of harmful enzymes called matrix metalloproteases. In two separate trials we will be investigating the use of a new topical dressing designed to reduce both the harmful enzymes and treat infection.
  
  
• Living Human Skin(Apligraf): Bi-layered human cell therapy is a modern marvel of scientific accomplishment. The application of living human skin to heal ulcerations has been approved by the FDA in early studies; however, investigators do not know how it heals wounds. Penn North has been given a research grant by the bio-tech company, Organogenesis, to use the latest gene chip technology to shed light on the mechanism of action of Apligraf in wound healing.
  
  
• Pain Associated with Leg Ulcerations: Two-thirds of patients with leg ulcerations experience severe pain adversely affecting their quality of life. Penn North is studying the effect of bi-layered cell therapy vs. standard therapy in the reduction of pain associated with leg ulcers.
  
  
• Infection: The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is alarming. Researchers are striving to stay one step ahead of the bacteria. Penn North has played an integral role in the testing and development of several new antibiotics. In December we will begin exploring the effect of a new antibiotic, Televancin, in the treatment of MRSA, a life-threatening type of staph infection.