New bandage stimulates blood vessel growth

Researchers have developed a bandage that stimulates and directs blood vessel growth on the surface of wounds. The bandage, called a microvascular stamp, contains living cells that deliver growth factors to damaged tissues. In testing with chicken embryos, the pattern of the stamp is written in blood vessels in the embryo after the bandage was left on for one week. Other laboratories have embedded growth factors in materials applied to wounds, but the new approach is the first to incorporate live cells in a stamp, controlling the growth and spacing of new vessels. The stamp is 1 centimeter across and built of layers of a hydrogel made of polyethylene glycol (an FDA-approved polymer used in laxatives and pharmaceuticals) and methacrylic alginate (an edible, Jell-O-like material). Researchers see many potential applications for the new stamp, from directing the growth of vessels around a blocked artery, to normalizing blood vessels that feed a tumor or reducing surgical recovery times.