Healing without scarring
65% of trauma victims suffer from problematic scarring, some of which can remain for the rest of their lives. Wounds to the surface of the body, as a consequence of trauma or disease, can cause significant problems through infection or long-term deformity through scarring.
Researchers at the Healthcare Technologies Institute are developing new technologies that will help minimise the impact of scarring both on the skin and the eyes.
Revolutionary eye-drop
Collaborative Healthcare Technologies Institute research has developed revolutionary eye-drops to prevent corneal scarring and blindness.
New dressing to heal burn scars
Developing a new dressing that could heal burn scars.
The Scar Free Foundation Centre for Conflict Wound Research
The Scar Free Foundation Centre for Conflict Wound Research
How can sugar be used to treat burns?
How can sugar be used to treat burns?
We often think of sugar as harmful – it rots our teeth and causes obesity. But what if we could use it as a treatment for burns?
Sugar has many uses in Professor Liam Grover’s research. The Director of the Healthcare Technologies Institute has found it to be useful in the treatment of diabetes, as the materials made from sugar are very effective at entrapping and protecting harvested pancreatic islets, which are used to restore function in diabetics. The research team have also created an eye-drop out of a sugar solution that has been proven to effectively treat scarring, returning the scarred eyeball to almost normal levels after it is applied. The pioneering eye drop has gone on to win prizes, and is now packaged with hopes to move to clinic next year. This could revolutionise how corneal burns are treated.