Science Fiction Comes to Wound Care

Non-healing wounds will meet a formidable opponent in new research out of Europe. It sounds like science fiction, but doctors may soon be able to target chronic wounds with eggshell membranes.

Here at Park Crescent we like to talk about new ways to treat non-healing wounds, because we’re proud of our excellent wound care program. Our advanced center is one of the best in the area, and we’ve had remarkable results in healing chronic open wounds. Especially now as Wound Healing Awareness Month comes to a close, we’re fascinated by this new piece of research from the EU.

Eggshell Membrane: a Natural Protectant

Eggshell membrane (ESM) is the thin film that protects the chick while it develops. It’s full of structural proteins, that serve as the “glue” that holds the body together. Collagen is one of the most common human structural proteins, and it’s currently used in some wound dressings. However, collagen-based dressings are very expensive, and thus not typically used for regular wound treatments.

Enter ESM. Its key functions are similar to wound healing properties in the skin, and it’s a lot cheaper.  The new technique extracts the membrane from waste eggshells, purifies it, and grinds it into a powder. When incorporated into a wound dressing, amazing things start to happen. The ESM dressing jump-starts healing by reducing tissue damage. It also reduces the presence of certain enzymes in the wound that delay healing. Most importantly, ESM encourages the formation of new tissue and blood vessels to fully heal the wound.

Eggshell Membrane: Cheap and Flexible

The ESM wound dressing looks like a clear blister film. It can be applied directly to the wound and covered with any secondary dressing, foams or bandages. Because of this, the dressing can fit wounds of all sizes.

At this point, the product appears to work for all types of wounds, including bed sores and diabetic ulcers—the two most common causes of chronic wounds. Pre-clinical trials on the safety and effectiveness of the wounds are complete. Biovetec, the medical company spearheading the research, says they hope to be able to start marketing the new dressings in 2019.

Will eggshells be the future of wound care? Only time will tell.