Bandage is one of the commonly used medical means that individuals used specifically when we got our skin cut. Just like other medical supplies, the healing of those cuts sometimes takes time. However, a new study takes the usage of these bandages to the next level. Researchers from Harvard University and McGill University developed a more efficient kind of band aid that makes the healing process of wounds faster.
The team of researchers have developed a dressing that can coax the skin to its younger self which can make the healing faster. The dressing is gel-based, heat-activated design that was based on the skin of wolverine (which we have when we are in the womb). It made out of thermoresponsive tough adhesive hydrogels that combine high stretch ability, toughness, tissue adhesion, and antimicrobial function. Also, it contains silver nanoparticles which has antimicrobial property and activates when exposed to body heat.
The team used pig and mouse skin as their subject and their results showed that the dressing were able to close or heal the wound faster than ordinary or traditional bandages. Moreover, no inflammation or immune system response were observed. Similar wound closing effect towards human skin were also observed based on the computer model created by the team, which only indicates that it is safe for human use, according to Gizmodo.
Based on their findings, the team expects that the dressing could be used on other kinds of severe wounds like skin ulcers.
"This technology has the potential to be used not only for skin injuries, but also for chronic wounds like diabetic ulcers and pressure sores, for drug delivery, and as components of soft robotics-base therapies," said David Mooney, author of the study and a bioengineer at Harvard's John A. Paulson School for Engineering and Applied Sciences.
On the other hand, it cannot be fully concluded that the new innovation can be used by humans. Yes, the computer simulations and the tests conducted on the animals were successful but its effectiveness to humans are still a mystery to be solved. Despite this, the researchers plan to study if their innovation can be used under various medical scenarios and conditions like colder weather which affects the skin's temperature.
