Candy floss fibre aids wound healing
20 Jun 2011 by Evoluted New Media
A revolutionary borate glass nanofibre that has been likened to candy floss could herald a new era in wound treatment say scientists in America.
A revolutionary borate glass nanofibre that has been likened to candy floss could herald a new era in wound treatment say scientists in America.
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Wads of the borate glass nanofibres |
The nanofibre – named DermaFuse – helped the final healing of long-term wounds in eight of 12 elderly venous stasis wound sufferers. The cottony glass fibres slow bleeding, fight bacteria and other sources of infection, stimulate the body’s natural healing mechanism, resists scarring – and may never have to be removed.
Silica-based glasses have previously been used in hard-tissue regeneration, but this is the first time a borate glass material has been used for regenerating soft tissues.
“Our in vitro studies showed bioactive glasses containing boron should react to body fluids much faster than silicate glasses,” said glass scientist Steve Jung. “Another in vitro study of lithium borate glasses showed it had beneficial effects against E. coli, salmonella and staphylococcus microbes.”
Jung – and co-developer Delbert Day, a professor at Missouri University – suspected a healing scaffold might be beneficial to skin reconstruction and decided to mimic the microstructure of fibrin, which normally forms the basis of a blood clot.
“We reasoned that if the structure could imitate fibrin, it might trap blood platelets and allow the formation of a wound cover that could support the healing process,” said Jung.
DermaFuse was trialled at the Phelps County Regional Medical Centre by nurse Peggy Taylor, who said it looked like cotton candy. She packed it into cracks and crevices and covered the wounds. She was surprised that fibres seemed to disappear over time.
“Does it dissolve? Does it become part of the tissue?” she asked. “We don’t quite know, but it is just such a neat thing to watch that process.”
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SEM images of fibrous microstructures that (A) show a fibrin clot composed of nano-sized fibrin fibres, and (B) the structure of the 13-93B3 glass nanofibre scaffold. |
The next stage is to expand the human trials but Jung and Day are optimistic. “We are really hoping the properties of these fibres can help with more extensive wounds, such as burns, and easily foresee the day when soldiers or EMT workers carry packets of these glass fibres to provide healing protective covers that don’t have to be removed,” said Jung.
Venous stasis is characterised by poor circulation in the extremities –blood pools in the lower legs and fluid accumulates, causing a high pressure on skin tissues. Sores and wounds develop and fluid weeps from small cracks or abrasions. Enzymes in this fluid can quickly erode the skin and cause wounds to deepen and delay healing.
