Researchers from the Technion in Haifa, have created a kind of fiber which can be applied like a dressing, to help a body heal wounds, Israel21C reports. Based on a protein found in cow's blood, the substance can be used like a 'second skin,' says its inventor, Prof. Eyal Zussmann of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion. The fiber dressing will help heal the type of external wounds created after a C-section, and can also be used internally on abdominal wounds and those created during heart operations,
Using the protein, bovine serum albumin, Zussmann has used tools in nanotechnology to create fibers, through a technique called electrospinning. The material he has developed into thread form can be formed i
"The fiber dressing will help heal the type of external wounds created after a C-section, and can also be used internally on abdominal wounds and those created during heart operations."
nto a patch that could be used extensively in medical applications.
Zussmann's solution is closely related to the human protein, human serum albumin, an abundant protein in the body. The new material is such a close match that the human body cannot tell the difference between its own and the cow protein, he explains. This means that wounds will heal better, with less inflammation.
Bovine serum
With the bovine serum already being produced on a commercial scale, it might not take long before bovine serum fibers are used as a standard in hospitals around the world. Currently researchers from the Technion and Tel Aviv University are jointly conducting experiments to realize the commercial potential of this new technology.
"The scale of the nanofiber is similar to our extracellular matrix, our tissues, our body's fibers such as collagen, which makes up part of our tissues. The typical size of the fibers [we created], are similar to those in our bodies. Cells sit very [well] on these new fibers," Zussmann added.