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Mountaineers and winter sports enthusiasts know the
dangers of frostbite the tissue damage that can
occur when extremities, such as the nose, ears,
fingers and toes, are exposed to very cold
temperatures. However, it can be difficult to get
treated quickly in remote, snowbound areas. Now,
researchers have developed a convenient gel that
could be sprayed onto frostbite injuries when they
occur, helping wounds heal. Conventional treatments
include immersing the body part in warm water,
applying topical antibiotic creams or administering
vasodilators and anti-inflammatory drugs, but many
of these are unavailable in isolated snowy areas,
like mountaintops. Others, such as topical
medications, could end up freezing themselves. To
develop their spray, the researchers packaged
heparin, an anticoagulant that improves blood flow
by reducing clotting and aiding in blood vessel
repair, into liposomes. These lipid carriers helped
deliver heparin deep inside the skin. Researcher
embedded the heparin-loaded liposomes in a sprayable
hydrogel that also contained ibuprofen (a painkiller
and anti-inflammatory drug) and propylene glycol,
which helped keep the spray from freezing at very
low temperatures. When the researchers tested the
spray gel on rats with frostbite, they found that
the treatment completely healed the injuries within
14 days, whereas untreated injuries were only about
40% healed, and wounds treated with an antibiotic
cream were about 80% healed. The spray reduced
levels of inflammatory cytokines at the wound site
and in the blood circulation, which likely
accelerated healing, the researchers say. |