Collagen News and Research

Latest Collagen News and Research

Startling discovery about the properties of human bone

The scientists describe their results - finding a sort of "glue" in human bone - in the cover story of the August issue of the international scientific journal, Nature Materials. The article was published on-line on July 17. It describes how healthy bone resists fracture and how unhealthy bone fractures at the molecular level.

18 Jul 2005

Carbon nanotubes may change the way doctors treat broken bones

Scientists have shown for the first time that carbon nanotubes make an ideal scaffold for the growth of bone tissue. The new technique could change the way doctors treat broken bones, allowing them to simply inject a solution of nanotubes into a fracture to promote healing.

11 Jul 2005

Orthodontics takes first step toward biological control of tooth movement

In the first study of its kind, University of Florida researchers are testing the power of a natural human hormone to biochemically move teeth faster and less painfully during orthodontic treatment.

6 Jul 2005

Enzyme known as cathepsin G may be a target for anti-inflammatory treatments

The finding by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that an enzyme known as cathepsin G regulates the ability of immune cells known as neutrophils to secrete chemicals that attract other immune cells and start the local inflammatory process. Over time, the excessive accumulation of immune cells can lead to tissue and cartilage damage in joints, causing pain and limiting mobility.

27 Jun 2005

Arteries bio-engineered from elderly cells

Researchers from Duke University's Medical Center and Pratt School of Engineering have demonstrated that they can grow new human blood vessels from cells taken from patients who especially need such assistance – older adults with cardiovascular disease.

14 Jun 2005

Disabling gene defuses rheumatoid arthritis in mice

Scientists studying mice have identified a gene that allows immune cells known as neutrophils to protect themselves from the inflammatory chemicals they secrete.

16 May 2005

Mother of all treatments could cure baldness, and banish stretch marks!

A new discovery by scientists might just be the 'mother of all treatments' in promising a treatment for balding men, women with stretchmarks and anyone who has gum disease.

3 May 2005

Tiny scaffolding allows stem cells to become working fat cells

Researchers here have used a new microscopic, three-dimensional scaffolding to coax mouse stem cells to transform themselves into fat cells, and then to function identical to how fat cells naturally do in the body.

22 Mar 2005

Fractional rejuvenation, the latest in non-ablative (non-invasive) laser skin rejuvenation

The skin can be damaged in many different ways – some are environmental, such as sun exposure, while others are the result of conditions such as acne or melasma. While this damage affects only small areas of the skin, past skin rejuvenation procedures treated large areas of the skin whether it was damaged or not.

22 Feb 2005

Secreted signaling protein called Wnt10b secret to new drugs for preventing or treating osteoporosis

Leaping tall buildings in a single bound may be out of the question, but the genetically engineered "supermice" in Ormond MacDougald's laboratory at the University of Michigan Medical School are definitely stronger than average.

22 Feb 2005

Lack of collagen increases likelihood of osteoarthritis

Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that joints whose cartilage lacks a specific type of collagen will develop osteoarthritis – the so-called "wear-and-tear" form of the disease – at a greatly accelerated rate.

20 Feb 2005

Basic biochemical composition of heart valves in patients with congestive heart failure are markedly different than those with healthy hearts

Surprising new findings in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology show that the basic biochemical composition of heart valves in patients with congestive heart failure are markedly different than those with healthy hearts, a finding that may explain the mixed success of surgery to repair valve dysfunction in these patients.

25 Jan 2005

Priming embryonic stem cells to fulfill their promise

Bioengineering researchers at the University of California, San Diego have invented a process to help turn embryonic stem cells into the types of specialized cells being sought as possible treatments for dozens of human diseases and health conditions.

24 Jan 2005

First LED device to receive approval for a medical claim associated with cosmetic improvement of aging and sun-damaged skin

Light BioScience announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared GentleWaves Light Emitting Diode (LED) Photomodulation System for the non-invasive treatment of periorbital (eye area) wrinkles and rhytids.

5 Jan 2005

Novel approach to bioengineer artificial skin for burn victims

Each year more than 45,000 Americans suffer burns serious enough to require a hospital stay, according to the American Burn Association. While the traditional therapy of using skin grafts to cover burn sites has improved, a number of problems including scarring, infection and poor adhesion remain.

4 Jan 2005

Signaling molecule involved in osteoarthritis identified

Using naturally-occurring mutant mice with a defective collagen gene, scientists at Harvard have identified a signaling molecule involved in one of the most common causes of disability among the elderly in the United States, osteoarthritis.

4 Jan 2005

New gel promotes healing by gluing bone pieces together

A new material that fuses biological and synthetic substances at the molecular level speeds bone and cartilage repair. Its creators at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology say laboratory studies have shown the new gel promotes healing by gluing bone pieces together and stimulating tissue development.

26 Dec 2004

Resveratrol antioxidant found in red wine may benefit heart tissue

New research on rat heart cells suggests that a well-known antioxidant found in red wine, called resveratrol, may benefit heart tissue by limiting the effects of a condition called cardiac fibrosis.

8 Dec 2004

Transplanted bone marrow cells reduce liver fibrosis in mice

Transplanted bone marrow cells can reduce carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in mice and significantly improve their survival rates, according to a new study

8 Dec 2004

Advanced wound care products to power expansion of European wound care market

The USD 1,111.1 million European wound care market is projected to gradually transition from traditional to advanced wound dressings. While traditional dressings currently dominate the total market, rising awareness of the clinical benefits provided by advanced wound dressings are set to widen their uptake.

7 Dec 2004