Researchers from the National University of Singapore have developed a magnetic wound-healing gel that speeds up the healing of diabetic wounds and reduces amputations. The gel, combined with an external magnetic device that stimulates skin cells, has been shown in lab tests to heal diabetic wounds three times faster than traditional methods and has shown potential to treat other complex wounds, including burns.
The natural wound healing process in people with diabetes is often affected, resulting in wounds that linger, sometimes leading to serious infections and even amputation.
To address this global medical challenge, a team of scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a breakthrough magnetic gel designed to speed up wound healing in diabetic patients. This new approach not only promises to speed up wound recovery, but also reduces the likelihood of wound recurrence and subsequent amputation.
Each treatment involves pre-coating a bandage with a hydrogel containing skin cells and magnetic particles that promote wound healing. To maximize the effectiveness of the treatment, a wireless external magnetic device is used to activate skin cells and accelerate the wound healing process. The ideal duration of magnetic stimulation is approximately one to two hours.
Tests at the EzoicLab laboratory show that magnetic stimulation heals diabetic wounds about three times faster than current traditional methods. Additionally, while the research is focused on healing diabetic foot ulcers, the technology has the potential to treat a variety of complex wounds, including burns.
Assistant Professor Andy Cheng (middle), together with Dr Shou Yufeng (right) and Dr Le Zhicheng (left) from the National University of Singapore, have developed an innovative magnetic wound healing gel that is expected to accelerate the healing of diabetic wounds. Associate Professor Zheng is holding a cast pre-loaded with magnetic gel, and Dr. Shou is holding a magnetic stimulation device. Image source: National University of Singapore
Andy Tay, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the School of Design and Engineering at the National University of Singapore, led a team of researchers from the National University of Singapore Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (NUS Institute for Health Innovation & Technology) and said: "Traditional dressings do not play a positive role in wound healing. Dressings only prevent the wound from worsening, and patients need to change the dressing every two or three days. This brings huge costs to our medical system and inconvenience to patients."
In contrast, NUS's unique invention adopts a comprehensive 'all-in-one' wound healing approach that accelerates the wound healing process from multiple aspects.
Assistant Professor Zheng explained: "Our technology solves multiple key factors related to diabetic wounds, while controlling elevated glucose levels in the wound area, activating dormant skin cells near the wound, restoring damaged blood vessels, and repairing the damaged vascular network within the wound."
The NUS team presented their innovation in a paper recently published in the scientific journal Advanced Materials. The research was a collaboration between scientists from the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Nanyang Technological University, Sun Yat-sen University and Wuhan University of Technology.
Chronic diabetic wounds: a major medical challenge
Currently, more than 500 million people worldwide have diabetes, and this number is expected to rise significantly. As a result, chronic diabetic wounds, such as foot ulcers (one of the most common and difficult to treat wounds), have become a global healthcare challenge. Traditional treatments for these wounds are often unsatisfactory, leading to recurring health problems, protracted treatment and, in many cases, amputation. There are approximately 9.1 million to 26.1 million cases of diabetic foot ulcers worldwide every year, and approximately 15% to 25% of diabetic patients will develop diabetic foot ulcers in their lifetime. Singapore has one of the highest diabetic lower limb amputation rates in the world, with an average of about four cases per day.
An innovative magnetic wound-healing gel has been developed by a research team from the National University of Singapore, which is expected to speed up the healing of diabetic wounds and reduce recurrence rates, thereby reducing the occurrence of amputations. A bandage preloaded with magnetic hydrogel is applied to the wound, and an external device is used to accelerate wound healing. Source: National University of Singapore
Gently "exercises" skin cells
Skin cells are constantly exposed to mechanical forces during daily activities. However, wound patients are often advised not to engage in strenuous activities, such as walking, which can kill remaining cells that are critical for healing.
Associate Professor Zheng said: "What our team achieved was to identify a sweet spot by applying mild mechanical stimulation. As a result, the remaining skin cells were 'exercised' to heal the wound, but not to an extent that killed them."
This specially designed wound-healing gel contains two types of FDA-approved skin cells - keratinocytes (essential for skin repair) and fibroblasts (used in forming connective tissue) - as well as tiny magnetic particles. When combined with a dynamic magnetic field generated by an external device, mechanical stimulation of the gel prompts dermal fibroblasts to become more active.
Developed by a research team at the National University of Singapore, this innovative magnetic hydrogel contains skin cells and magnetic particles that promote wound healing. It uses an "all-in-one" comprehensive wound healing approach to accelerate the wound healing process from multiple aspects. Source: National University of Singapore
Laboratory tests showed that the magnetic wound healing gel enhanced the activity of fibroblasts, increasing the growth rate of the cells by about 240% and more than doubling the production of collagen, a key protein in wound healing. Magnetic wound healing gel also improves communication with keratinocytes and promotes the formation of new blood vessels.
Associate Professor Zheng added: "The method we adopt not only speeds up wound healing, but also promotes the overall health of the wound and reduces the chance of recurrence."
The NUS team has been working on the project from 2021 to 2023 to prove the feasibility of this new approach. This innovation has been patented.
Magnetic wound healing gel shows great promise in improving diabetic wound healing, and it could also revolutionize the treatment of other complex types of wounds.
Dr Shou Yufeng, co-first author of the study paper and a researcher in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the School of Design and Engineering at the National University of Singapore, said: "The combination of magnetically responsive hydrogels with wireless magnetically induced dynamic mechanical stimulation addresses fundamental challenges in wound healing, such as creating a favorable microenvironment and promoting tissue regeneration. These principles and the adaptability of our technology, as well as its general ease of use for patients, mean it can be applied to improve wound healing in a variety of conditions beyond diabetes, including burns and chronic non-diabetic ulcers."
The researchers are conducting additional tests to further improve the magnetic wound healing gel and increase its effectiveness. They are also working with clinical partners to test the effectiveness of the gel using diabetic human tissue.
"This is an important step forward in proactive wound care," Associate Professor Zheng said. "Our goal is to provide an effective and convenient wound healing solution that improves outcomes for millions of people around the world." "
"Wound healing, especially in the field of diabetic foot ulcers, has always been a challenging field." Assistant Professor Francis Wong Keng Lin, consultant at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Sengkang General Hospital, said: "The wound healing of diabetic foot patients is not as good as that of normal patients, and their healing process often takes a long time. Advances in wound healing technology will shorten the treatment course for patients, allowing them to return to life as quickly as possible, thus improving work efficiency and quality of life."