讓疤痕復原的開關，以色列找到了！ - 生技

中文文字部分來自 以色列經濟貿易辦事處
http://itrade.gov.il/taiwan/?p=4332 文字內容出處

八仙塵爆後，許多人因此而留下無法抹滅的痕跡，雖然存活了下來，但這些永久存在的疤
痕也許會造成生理、心理甚至是社交上的壓力。以色列特拉維夫大學以及美國哈佛大學的
頂尖研究員共同致力於燒燙傷復原的領域，發展了一項不需要額外手術的方式讓傷口自然
的復原，並不留下疤痕的技術。


遭受燒燙傷後，過多的膠原蛋白的產生是導致疤痕留下的原因。而研究團隊所發展的特殊
技術partial irreversible electroporation (pIRE)，是能夠防止燒燙傷疤痕形成的關
鍵。在一連串的老鼠實驗後，與未治療的對照組相比，經過六個月治療的疤痕區域很明顯
有57.9%的減少，研究團隊也正努力找出治療技術的平衡點，避免過度治療或是形成新的
傷口。現在，他們找到了開關，而下一步，將會是募資並執行進一步的人體臨床試驗，相
信未來此技術將會在醫界裡注入新的能量。

英文資料出處 http://goo.gl/HKP9Qu AUGUST 15, 2016, 8:20 AM
相關資料下載 http://goo.gl/gI1SMf
Novel non-invasive technology may prevent burn scars

Israeli and American researchers develop method to control collagen-cell
proliferation that produces scarring.


A group of researchers from Tel Aviv University and Harvard University is
proposing a new non-invasive method to prevent burn-related hypertrophic
scars — raised tissue caused by excessive collagen — using short, pulsed
electric fields.

“People don’t die from scars, but they do suffer from them,” said Dr.
Alexander Golberg of TAU’s Porter School of Environmental Studies. “We
believe that the technology we developed, called partial irreversible
electroporation (pIRE), can be used to prevent debilitating burn scars from
forming.”

According to the World Health Organization, 10 percent of all
unintentional-injury deaths result from burns. But even for those who survive
the destruction of skin and tissue cells, post-burn scarring creates lifelong
physical, psychological and social suffering.

The experimental pIRE technique harnesses microsecond-pulsed, high-voltage,
non-thermal electric fields to control the body’s natural response to trauma
— the proliferation of collagen cells that cause permanent scarring at the
site of injury.

The technique was applied to burn injuries in rats during five therapy
sessions over the course of six months. Using an imaging technique developed
at the Wellman Center of Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, the
researchers assessed the treated wounds and found a 57.9% reduction of the
scar area in comparison with untreated scars.

The researchers tried to find a delicate balance so that the technique didn’
t create a new wound or “overheal” the existing wound, because scarring is
the body’s natural way of healing.

The study, supported by the Shriners Foundation, was led by Golberg together
with Dr. Martin Yarmush of the Center for Engineering in Medicine at
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Shriners Burns
Hospital in Boston.

Researchers from Harvard-affiliated institutions and from the department of
biomedical engineering at the University of Arkansas also participated.

Their results recently were published in the Journal of Investigative
Dermatology. The authors caution that the findings were limited by the fact
that rats do not develop hypertrophic scars and therefore human trials are
essential.

“Scarring is a very complex process, involving inflammation and metabolism,
” said Golberg. “We have found a way to partially prevent scar formation in
animal models. Next we need to raise funding to develop a device for the
clinical study on humans.”

Surgical excision, laser therapy, electron-beam irradiation, mechanical
compression dressing, silicone sheet application and other techniques have
been tested to treat scars over the years, said Golberg. “But there have
been only modest improvements in the healing outcomes among all these
treatments.”

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