Severe burns can be life threatening and take a long time
to heal. In some cases the scars can be life-long. Children
often need repeated skin grafts and surgery because scar
tissue does not grow with the child.
IHBI researchers explored the possibility of faster
healing to reduce scar tissue.
A recent advance was
VitroGro®, a combination of proteins that speeds up the
growth rate in certain skin cells.
The results were exceptional when VitroGro® wasused with a current leading burns treatment, potentially
reducing scarring, pain and ongoing hospital treatment for
children suffering burns.
IHBI researchers are working with specialists at the
Stuart Pegg Paediatric Burns Centre at Brisbane’s Royal
Children’s Hospital on preclinical trials of their healing
breakthrough and plan to start clinical trials in children soon.
There are still more possibilities to explore using the
technology developed at IHBI.
For example, treatment for
chronic leg ulcers, repairing eye injuries, coating orthopaedic
and medical implants, or for use as a reagent to improve the
safety and the growth of cells used in the production of
skin grafts.
This research is part of the Cells and Tissue Domain
burns, fractures, healing, surgery, cancer, disease, infection...
When our bodies are damaged or diseased, it is vital to explore the activity of human cells
and tissues to uncover the nature of the harm and how to heal it.
IHBI’s Cells and Tissue researchers are dedicated to finding effective ways of diagnosing
disease and to restoring functionality to damaged or diseased human cells and tissues.
Each success is opening up new possibilities.
From burns and wound healing techniques, to prostate and breast cancer research and
infectious diseases such as Ross River Fever, IHBI researchers are working at the level of
cells and tissues in order to heal the bigger health problems that affect our lives. |
