This Fish’s Skin Might Hold the Key to Better Burn Treatments

The future of burn and wound care looks fishy—in a good way. New research suggests that a greater variety of fish skins can be used as wound dressings than currently assumed.

Researchers from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines conducted the study, which aimed to test the potential of milkfish (Chanos Chanos) Skin as a base for skin grafts. Researchers have found that milkfish skin is just as durable and effective at preventing bacterial growth as tilapia fish skin, an emerging skin graft alternative. Researchers say the discovery allows milkfish to be a cost-effective, environmentally friendly option for treating severe wounds in poor areas.

In recent years, scientists have explored fish skin as a skin graft material for humans and animals. Compared to other animal skin pens, fish skin More resistant to potential viral contamination and it may be better for faster wound healing. Several fish skin graft products are currently being tested and even used at times Urgent crisis Like the California wildfires of 2023.

At the moment, though, these grafts are the most commonly used fish tilapia. So researchers from the Ateneo de Manila wanted to see if the popular milkfish (locally known as “bangs”) could be turned into a wound care treatment.

They procure fresh milkfish and tilapia skins from a local market in Metro Manila, then grate, wash and cut into strips. Some strips were treated with silver nanoparticles, a common antimicrobial, while others were left alone as controls.

Under a microscope, milkfish skins retain the same structural integrity of their collagen as tilapia. And treated milkfish skin also inhibits bacterial and fungal growth.

“By demonstrating that milkfish skin can be effectively sterilized and treated like tilapia skin, this research provides an innovative, cost-effective and sustainable wound-healing solution,” the researchers wrote in their paper. published Late last year BIO Web of Conference.

As popular as the milkfish is in places like the Philippines, its skin is usually thrown away in the trash. So being able to use milkfish skin as a wound dressing would both help hospitals with fewer resources and also reduce environmental waste. More research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of milkfish skin for grafts, but it could certainly become an important treatment option, the researchers say.

“This finding has the potential to transform wound care in underserved areas, improving patient outcomes in areas with limited access to advanced medical facilities,” they wrote.

Elsewhere scientists have also begun to test other species of fish as a base material for skin grafts, e.g Cod.