A Sealer Can Quickly Close Wounds

We are used to rushing to a first-aid kit and grabbing a bandage or wound dressing, when we get an injury but there are other options too. A wound sealant developed by the researchers at Texas A&M University, can help wounds close twice as quickly as the traditional treatments. This material is particularly suitable for treating hard to heal wounds like diabetic foot ulcers.

The sealant is a collagen-based material which can be injected or poured into the wound. Collagen is a protein found in human body and is frequently used in wound care because it is not expensive, can be easily prepared and causes negligible allergic reactions.

"Collagen is the most abundant protein in the mammalian body, and in skin, it's about 60 percent of your total protein," said Dr. Douglas Miller, research scientist with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. "It's been described as literally the glue that holds you together. The bottom line is that collagen has been used for centuries as something to repair wounds because it is a natural component of the tissue."

The material developed by the researchers is a mixture of collagen and some other components. It looks like gelatin but is relatively more flexible yet brittle. Its flexibility helps it to conform to wounds because in large wounds, there is a lot of movement with the body movement and since it is flexible, it is able to hold to the wound without disintegrating. It does not need to be applied in large quantities, once is normally enough, which makes it fairly cost-effective. To close a one inch wide and half inch deep wound, only 10 ml of this material is required. When compared to other treatments, its single application, as opposed to multiple times with other treatments, makes it a better option. Adding other materials that promote wound healing such as growth factor can improve its performance even further, according to Miller.

Dr. Miller, together with other researchers, tested the material on wounds. The researchers found that the wounds that were treated with the material closed in 50 percent less time than the wounds that were not treated.

"The size of the wound shrank more rapidly when treated with the sealant," said Miller.

"One dose of this could replace all of that, and all you have to do is change the covering a couple of times a week," he said.

Dr. Miller indicates towards other uses of this material also such as bone repair, grafts or prosthetic implant stabilization.

"This product would have a potential widespread market throughout veterinary medical and human medical and dental practice," he said.

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