Chinese researchers say they can speed up skin wound healing on mice using fish protein in the form of collagen obtained from the skin of tilapia.
The idea of using the protein collagen is not new but the use of fish is, as Scientific American reports:
Collagen is the main structural protein in connective tissue, and its effectiveness in wound healing is well established. Until now attention has focused on mammalian sources, primarily pigs and cows, but these can transmit diseases through protein impurities. The risk is lower with fish collagen, because in general fish are affected by very different infectious agents to humans. Tilapia fish skin is also an abundant starting material.
Originally published by Cosmos as Fish skin bandages could speed up wound healing
Bill Condie
Bill Condie is a science journalist based in Adelaide, Australia.
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