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J. Vincent Edwards has been recognized by the AATCC Olney Medal Award for his substantial work in the design and implementation of cotton for acute and chronic wound care.
For almost 25 years, Edwards’ research in the areas of cotton, hygiene and wound healing has led to significant understanding and treatment of infection and pain caused by chronic wounds. Research that he began in 1997 led to the development of a protease-inhibitor, cotton-based wound dressing that served as a model in wound dressing development. At the center of the pathology is human neutrophil elastase (HNE), which is perhaps the most destructive protease in the body.
Edwards was able to develop controlled release protease inhibitors useful as a treatment modality for chronic wounds. He was the first to demonstrate the kinetic profile, dose response and fiber release properties of an HNE fiber-inhibitor dressing formulation applied to human chronic wound fluid. He led a team of wound healing scientists and physicians to evaluate elastase inhibition of the modified wound dressings. His findings would assist the more than 5 million people who suffer from chronic wounds. The first paper he wrote on this research was the main subject of discussion at a Gordon Conference on Tissue Repair & Regeneration in June 1999 and played a role in wound care companies developing protease sequestrant dressings.
Edwards has published 78 peer-reviewed papers, and over 30 additional papers, proceedings, and presentations. He has edited two books and five book chapters. Edwards and his co-workers have been issued nine US patents.
Established in 1944 in honor of Louis Atwell Olney, the founder and first president of AATCC, the Olney Medal recognizes outstanding achievement in textile or polymer chemistry or other fields of chemistry of major importance to textile science. The award consists of a gold medal, a scroll and an honorarium.