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New material could 'drive wound healing' using the body's inbuilt healing system
From http://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/189689/new-material-could-drive-wound-healing/
New material could ‘drive wound healing’ using the body's inbuilt healing system
by Caroline Brogan
07 January 2019
Imperial researchers have developed a new bioinspired material that interacts with surrounding tissues to promote healing.
Materials are widely used to help heal wounds: Collagen sponges help treat burns and pressure sores, and scaffold-like implants are used to repair broken bones. However, the process of tissue repair changes over time, so scientists are looking to biomaterials that interact with tissues as healing takes place.
Now, Dr Ben Almquist and his team at Imperial College London have created a new molecule that could change the way traditional materials work with the body. Known as traction force-activated payloads (TrAPs), their method lets materials talk to the body’s natural repair systems to drive healing.
The researchers say incorporating TrAPs into existing medical materials could revolutionise the way injuries are treated. Dr Almquist, from Imperial’s Department of Bioengineering, said: “Our technology could help launch a new generation of materials that actively work with tissues to drive healing.”
...
by Caroline Brogan
07 January 2019
Imperial researchers have developed a new bioinspired material that interacts with surrounding tissues to promote healing.
Materials are widely used to help heal wounds: Collagen sponges help treat burns and pressure sores, and scaffold-like implants are used to repair broken bones. However, the process of tissue repair changes over time, so scientists are looking to biomaterials that interact with tissues as healing takes place.
Now, Dr Ben Almquist and his team at Imperial College London have created a new molecule that could change the way traditional materials work with the body. Known as traction force-activated payloads (TrAPs), their method lets materials talk to the body’s natural repair systems to drive healing.
The researchers say incorporating TrAPs into existing medical materials could revolutionise the way injuries are treated. Dr Almquist, from Imperial’s Department of Bioengineering, said: “Our technology could help launch a new generation of materials that actively work with tissues to drive healing.”
...
More at link.
Findings published in Advanced Materials:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15214095
