John Hopkins School of Medicine scientists developed soft-tissue growing gel. Their findings regarding the success in injecting the gel into test rats and rabbit was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Currently, there are a few procedure that allow patients to regenerate the missing tissue due to an infection or surgical procedure or an accident. This innovation has great potential in using the gel as a soft-tissue regenerative tool.
A biodegradable polymer was used to create the nanofibers to make the gel. These nanofibers have been in application in various medical fields. Treatment of the nanofibers was performed to permit their binding with hyaluronic acid. This allows gel creation that permit the body to form blood vessels. This process results to an injectable gel that assists in regenerating lost soft tissue. The gel has characteristically the same feel as real tissues.
Lab rats and rabbits were removed with tissue and these cavities were filled with the gel. The researchers observed that the gel follows the shape of the cavity before firming up. Medical Xpress said, "Macrophages appeared and began infiltrating the gel and sending out signals that induced the body to create new cells and blood vessels inside the gel as it biodegraded. The end result was regeneration of lost tissue. The researchers note that the gel assisted in regenerating missing soft tissue up to 10 cubic centimeters, which, they further note, is about the size of a human finger. Clinical trials to test the new gel in humans could come very quickly, as all of the ingredients are already used in other medical applications."
