Biomedical engineer developed novel, regenerative bandage for diabetic wound healing
- Shape-conforming bandage heals wounds 33 percent faster than popular bandages on the market
- Researcher can perform demonstrations of how bandage works, including showing how it transforms from liquid to solid within seconds
- Diabetic patient is available for interview about the bandage’s potential impact
EVANSTON, Ill. — November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, and Northwestern University researcher Guillermo Ameer is available to discuss his novel regenerative bandage, which accelerates healing in diabetic wounds.
A pioneer in biomaterials and regenerative engineering, Ameer is the Daniel Hale Williams Professor of Biomedical Engineering in Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering, professor of surgery in the Feinberg School of Medicine and director of the Center for Advanced Regenerative Engineering.
Ameer’s bandage:
- Heals diabetic wounds 33 percent faster than one of the most popular bandages currently on the market
- Harnesses the body’s own healing mechanisms rather than releasing drugs or outside factors, so it faces fewer regulatory hurdles
- Does not have any known side effects
- Starts as a liquid and becomes a solid within seconds when applied to the body
- Conforms to the exact shape of the wound
- Counters inflammation with its inherently antioxidant nature
- Rinses off with cool saline, so the regenerating tissue remains undisturbed
- Is designed with diabetic sores in mind but can be used to treat any open wound
The bandage has been tested on a small animal model, and findings were published this summer in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The device is now undergoing tests in a larger animal model. Ameer can also explain why diabetic patients get sores and why these wounds are so difficult to treat.
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