Malignant fungating wounds (MFW) are incurable, severe, and debilitating conditions normally occurring in the last (six) months of oncologic patient’ life, affecting the overall quality of life and requiring appropriate palliative care to alleviate pain and suffering. MFW’s microbiome may influence the development and severity of wound symptoms, causing foul odors, peri-wound skin damage, inflammation, and ultimately, delays in the healing proliferative phase.
  ARGOS project is implemented by a consortium of two research institutions and one company with previous experience in developing collagen-based pharmaco-cosmeceutic products and is aiming to develop an innovative multi-purpose, bioactive topical formulation to assist the physical management of malignant fungating wounds, by addressing the microbiome-related symptoms such as pain, odor, and exudate. The proposed solution is based on collagen and inorganic - gold, silver and magnetic – nanoparticles functionalized with plant-derived bioactive compounds (such as polyphenols contained in Chelidonium majus L. and Tamarix gallica extracts, with previously demonstrated antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiproliferative, antiviral and immunomodulatory activity). Therefore, the main novelty of the proposed solution is that it provides not only a wide antimicrobial effect, but also anti-cancer activity and pro-healing properties on the site of malignant wounds. The physico-chemical, mechanical and biological properties of the collagen-based optimized product will be validated by standard protocols and the technological scaling documentation and argumentation of the investments required for in vivo tests will be elaborated (TRL4).