Wound

Spread by sandfly bites, the leishmania parasite causes ulcers that for many people are unexpectedly pain-free. For decades scientists have been puzzled by these painless lesions but new research is now homing in on the unusual analgesic mechanisms.

Ordinarily, when treating chronic wounds, caregivers go to great lengths to keep them free of bacteria. An experimental new dressing, however, actually introduces bacteria to help such wounds heal.

The skin ulcers that diabetics often develop on their feet are slow to heal, sometimes to the point that they become infected and require foot amputation. A magnetic gel could keep that from happening, as it triples the healing speed of such wounds.

Researchers have used plasma technology to transform blue-green microalgae into a novel coating that can be applied to dressings and medical devices to protect patients from infection, speed up healing and reduce inflammation.

For the first time, scientists have combined six primary skin cell types with hydrogels to ‘print’ a thick, multilayered skin that, when transplanted, successfully integrated with surrounding tissue to heal wounds more rapidly and with less scarring.

Researchers have uncovered the mechanism that causes wounds to heal more slowly in diabetics, putting them at increased risk of infection and other serious complications. They say their findings could offer a new approach to the disease.

When Captain Kirk stepped out with a tricorder in hand in Star Trek in 1966, the data sensing, scanning and analyzing gadget seemed a rather useful but far-in-the-future piece of technology. With the Swift Ray 1, we're a step closer to its reality.

It's ironic that in order to see how a wound is healing, the dressing has to be removed, potentially setting back the healing process. A clever new bandage, however, continuously shows how the wound is faring – without needing a power source.

Leaking sutures after abdominal surgery are a potentially life-threatening complication that surgeons might not pick up immediately. Researchers have developed a hydrogel patch that can rapidly detects postop leaks at suture sites inside the abdomen.

It's a sad fact that burn victims often feel a great deal of pain when the dressings on their wounds are removed. A new hydrogel-based dressing could change that, however, as it easily releases from the skin when cooled.

Most wound dressings simply cover the injury and perhaps also kill harmful bacteria. The PAINT system goes much further, as it incorporates a pen that could one day allow doctors to paint a gelatinous healing ink right into wounds.

Researchers have confirmed what Indigenous Australians already knew: native plants have great healing properties. Two plants have been found to heal wounds quickly and efficiently, paving the way for the use of more plant-based therapeutic treatments.