Materials Today Bio

Researchers in Taiwan have developed a cell-free extracellular matrix material from axolotl skin that helped mouse burn wounds close faster and showed signs of reduced fibrotic scarring. The findings suggest that one of nature’s most remarkable regenerators may inspire future strategies for burns, chronic wounds, and surgical injuries, but the approach is not yet a treatment for human wounds.

A new way to grow stem cells may help them release more of the signaling proteins they use to repair tissue, potentially improving future treatments.

Researchers from Osaka University have found that nematodes can be coated with a protective hydrogel sheath that can be engineered to carry functional cargo. This system could potentially be developed to deliver anti-cancer drugs to tumors using worms with a natural predilection for human cancer cells.