A suture that generates electricity from the contraction of muscles can heal wounds faster than traditional stitches, new research finds.
In a new study on rats, researchers tested a biodegradable electrical suture and found that it promoted the migration of cells involved in repair within the wound, collagen deposition, and the release of growth factors that speed healing. Wounds also closed faster than injuries stitched with regular sutures. Though the new research focused on animals, the scientists have since begun clinical trials with humans.
“This bioabsorbable electrical stimulating suture could change how we treat injuries in the future,” says study senior author Chengyi Hou, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Donghua Univ. in China. “The next step is to move from electrical stimulation suture for wound healing to a broader scope of wound management.”
Hou and his team have been working on fiber electronics for a decade, but the new suture is their first attempt to apply their work to the biomedical field. Previous studies have found that bioelectric patches and external devices can speed wound healing by encouraging the movement of sodium and potassium ions between cells in the wound, increasing the...
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