Reports have shown that there are about 70,000 amputations which occur every year due to diabetes. Fortunately, this number may be significantly reduced by using wound dressings made out of the human amniotic membrane, which could promote fast healing. This membrane is found right in the placenta.
Yahoo News reported on this revolutionizing wound-healing technique, which was pioneered by Dr. Dusko Ilic and colleagues. Ilic is a King's College London stem cell professor, whose specialization is in the field of regenerative medicine.
The study published in the British Medical Bulletin journal showed that by using the amniotic membrane tissue as a dressing on the wound, it would heal faster. This membrane is a protein mesh covering the placenta. The moment that the water breaks in pregnant woman, this layer ruptures and along with the placenta, it also comes out of the woman's body. This membrane is very nutritious, which is needed by the fetus inside the womb.
According to the doctors involved in the research, after the cells are stripped from the membrane, the rich protein is left creating a layer that is rich in collagen. This whole protein-rich structure is responsible for the fast wound healing.
In a report by Live Science, it stated that there are just two major European companies that make use of amniotic membrane on their products. There are more manufacturers in the United States but this type of dressing is not often found in hospitals.
Chris Liscio, Derma Sciences' Director of Regenerative Tissue Products said that, "The wound-care community is relatively small." Diabetic wounds are mostly treated by physicians. When ulcers set in it becomes hard for healing to transpire and this is where these amniotic membranes can help.
Dr. Ilic mentioned that for those wounds that are really hard to heal, such as those that don't respond to treatments, an amniotic membrane from human placenta will help a lot in the healing process. If those suffering from diabetes will be able to make use of this type of dressing, then there would be lesser amputations and faster diabetic wound healing.
