Milk may be new way to heal wounds
Clinical trials start next year
Researchers in Australia have found a powder extracted from cows’ milk that may accelerate wound healing and smooth wrinkles. The powder, which is derived from whey a waste product from making cheeses reportedly doubled the healing rate of wounds in rats during laboratory tests, says David Belford, project leader with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Sydney.
"If we can reproduce even a fraction of [that] kind of activity . . . in the human population, we would be very pleased," Belford told the Reuters News Service in a recent interview.
If clinical trials of the compound show positive results, it could be used as a healing agent in dressings for minor wounds and as an application for leg and diabetic ulcers, pressure sores, and even as a wrinkle remover in cosmetics, he added. There also is a veterinary potential for healing wounds in race horses and pets.
Don’t look for it any time soon
Clinical trials are expected to begin next year. Subjects will include those with chronic venous insufficiency and venous stasis ulcers.
The extract is unlikely to be available commercially until the end of the century, Belford said. "All the dressings at the moment really just provide an environment which facilitates optimal wound repair. If you can actually produce a product that stimulates wound repair, that would attract a fair percentage of market share," he said. The extract is a mixture of several growth factors -– proteins that promote cell growth and division as well as the production of supporting structures, such as collagen.
Patented process
The extraction process already has been patented, and manufacturing rights have been awarded. Marketing negotiations reportedly are under way with a number of major international cosmetics and wound care companies.
The construction of a pilot plant capable of producing 440 gallons of whey a day (enough to yield just two ounces of the wound healing extract) has been commissioned.
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