A team from Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María has created a biomimetic patch using ulmo honey to regenerate wounds and burns. The material, based on nanotechnology, mimics human skin structure and promotes cell growth. Researchers highlight its economic potential compared to imported alternatives.
Scientists at Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María (USM) in Chile have developed an innovative patch for hard-to-heal wounds and burns. The project, led by Dr. Tomás Corrales from the Physics Department, collaborates with the Centro de Biotecnología “Dr. Daniel Alkalay Lowitt”.
The patch is made using electrospinning, a technique that produces nanofibers from a biodegradable polymer encapsulating ulmo honey, native to southern Chile and Argentina. This membrane creates a porous three-dimensional environment similar to the human extracellular matrix, aiding tissue regeneration. “Our technology mimics the extracellular matrix of human tissues [...] structurally it is very similar to biological tissue,” explained Corrales.
Preliminary results show ulmo honey is equal or superior to New Zealand's Manuka honey in viability for human fibroblast cultures, at a much lower cost: $6 per kilo versus $400. Catalina Navarrete, a master's student in Physics at USM, prepares the solutions in the lab: “The solution consists of a polymer that supports the honey [...] inheriting all the medicinal properties of the natural product.”
The team is sending samples to cell cultures and plans clinical studies along with technology transfer, amid a growing global wound care market.
