#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Researchers at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) have developed an innovative method for treating burns and frostbite. It is especially relevant for the Arctic – low temperatures and thin air lead to a lack of oxygen in the tissues, and such wounds heal more difficult and painful.
“After treatment, scars remain, and there is a risk of the wound becoming chronic”, noted one of the authors of the development, MIPT graduate student Marina Volkova, in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper.
For treatment, scientists have proposed using stem cells – the building blocks of the human body, which can develop into other types of cells and contribute to accelerated tissue restoration.
The innovation of the Russian development is that stem cells are grown in the form of a sphere with a size of 100 to 200 nanometers – the shape allows the cells to develop in the environment of their usual relationships, and this increases their survival after introduction into the body.
“A zone of necrosis with dead tissue forms in the core of the wound. But there are tissues around the periphery that can still be preserved. On the first day after injury, we inject stem cells around the perimeter of the injury, which begin to produce growth factors and trigger reverse mechanisms – reducing inflammation and accelerating recovery”, explained Marina Volkova.
The developers propose creating banks of materials with stem cell cultures in hospitals in Arctic cities. When a severely injured patient arrives, cell biologists will prepare the product and send it to the treating physician. Currently, scientists are at the first stage of work.
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Text: Angelika Stepanova, Photo: Nikolay Shchipko
