American researchers have developed a collagen-based sealant designed to speed wound healing and reduce scarring. Collagen, a protein found naturally in the skin that literally holds it together, is often used to speed wound healing. However, Dr Douglas Miller and colleagues at the Texas Agricultural Research Station believe that their sealant is better than using collagen alone as it is more flexible, and therefore does not tear when the patient moves. Furthermore, as the sealant only has to be used once it also has the benefit of being cheaper than traditional collagen treatment. Tests of the sealant on rats showed that it cut the amount of time it took wounds to heal by half – wounds of rats treated with the sealant closed in three days, while in untreated rats the process took six days. The treated animals also exhibited less scarring. The researchers believe that their product could be of particular benefit to those with diabetic sores, which are notoriously slow to heal. According to Miller, other chemicals designed to speed healing and prevent infection, such as slow-release antibiotics, could be added to the sealant. Filling a one-inch-long and half-inch-deep wound is estimated to cost roughly $100.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 25th July 2003.
