Low-cost biodegradable foam could heal chronic wounds

Abstract

A new synthetic foam works just as well as the leading gold standard biological materials in healing chronic wounds in animal tests but should cost 75% less ( Sci. Transl. Med. 2022, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abm6586 ). The biodegradable foam soothes inflammation and is also an antioxidant. It could reduce the cost of treating chronic wounds, which affect about 4.5 million people in the US alone. Diabetes, obesity, and vascular disease all predispose people to wounds that don’t heal on their own , says Craig Duvall , a bioengineer at Vanderbilt University who led the work. Chronic wounds, he says, “can be painful, susceptible to infection, and can lead to amputations.” Doctors treat these wounds with scaffolds that cover and protect the site from infection while allowing cells to infiltrate and grow new tissue. Wound-healing products available today are typically made of expensive biological materials like collagen or hyaluronic acid . Less