Just like the burn ointment used by Katniss Everdeen to heal her wound quickly, LiveScience reported that researchers in Switzerland have invented a glue substance that is designed and can help heal wounds faster. It can heal burns, minor cuts, bruises, and broken bones.
This medicine can be very helpful specially for people whose natural healing process is slow. The healing glue which is called the "engineered growth factor", works by remaining near the damaged tissue longer than it normally would.
Growth factors are proteins produced naturally by animals. It naturally aids in the body’s healing proces. When the body is injured, growth factors signal certain cells to surround the wound and promotes healing.
Mikaël Martino who is the lead researcher at the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland concentrates on these growth factors.
The team have found a way for these growth factor to remain attached to the extracellular matrix using a set of chemical hooks, that enable it to be more effective and could help heal wounds faster than before.
However, more study, research, and work is needed before these growth factors will be able to be used clinically.
Source: Martino M, Briquez P, Guc E, et al. Growth Factors Engineered for Super-Affinity to the Extracellular Matrix Enhance Tissue Healing. Science. 2014.
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