A new collagen-based sealant that can be poured or injected into wounds has sped healing in rats by up to 50%.



Douglas Miller, a research scientist with Texas A&M University, and colleagues found a significant difference in laboratory rats treated with the collagen material compared to untreated rats.



Wounds of treated rats healed in three days compared to six days for the untreated group.



The collagen treatment could prove useful for treating wounds in animals and humans, including for diabetic ulcers or sores that heal a lot slower than minor soft-tissue wounds.

Of the many preparations that humans have developed to assist in wound repair, collagen-based treatments have earned fans as they are inexpensive, easily prepared and readily shaped to fit a wound site.



Collagen is also a natural part of the body and causes few allergic reactions.



“Collagen is the most abundant protein in the mammalian body, and in skin, it’s about 60% of your total protein,” says Miller.



Even though collagen is literally the glue that holds humans together, however, collagen alone will not bind the wound.



So Miller and his team developed a mixture of collagen, other ingredients and a chemical process (polymerization) that aids in binding the sealant to the wound.

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