Scars from third-degree burns have been problems for medical treatment for decades. But researchers at Johns Hopkins University, namely
Guoming Sun (Postdoctoral fellow) and Sharon Gerecht, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, have developed the burn-healing hydrogel that claims capable to grow new skin on scar tissues over burn sites.
The hydrogel contains no drugs or biological components, as it’s mainly built from water and dissolved dextran, which is a sugar-like polymer. In its basic form, the hydrogel was able to grow new skin, complete with blood vessels, skin oil glands and hair follicles. The growth process takes about 21 days to accomplish.
One certain discovery is about the penetration and degradation of inflammatory cells by the hydrogel, allowing blood vessels to form in rapid manner, which in turn supports new tissue growth.
The scientists believe that the physical structure of the hydrogel could be guiding the tissue growth, and that it could be attracting bone marrow stem cells circulating in the blood stream, then signaling them to form into skin cells and blood vessels.
Gerecht believes that the hydrogel should be inexpensive and easy to manufacture on a commercial scale, and that it could also be used to treat wounds such as skin ulcers.
Researchers are planned for taking more animals for the hydrogel trials prior any testing going on human, however, since the gel is classified as a device rather than medication, it could be approved for use within the next few years.
Johns Hopkins research about the hydrogel was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, you could check it out at following link.
[ Source: Johns Hopkins University - Hydrogel for New Scar Free Skin Paper ]
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