A Medical Device Daily

The treatment of burns, diabetic ulcers, bedsores and other wounds – even wounds from gunshots – may improve, with a new initiative from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH; both Bethesda, Maryland).

The institute reported that it will award $13 million over four years to create four centers to develop new therapies for acute and chronic wounds. Central to the effort, the NIH said, is bringing together experts from many fields: microbiologists, engineers, cell biologists, dermatologists, and other physicians.

“The new centers create interdisciplinary groups of basic scientists and clinicians to work together on their most innovative ideas,” said Elias Zerhouni, MD, director of NIH. “Focusing the diverse expertise and approaches of these teams will integrate current knowledge about how wounds heal and generate new strategies to enhance and speed the healing process.”

The new Centers for Innovative Wound Healing Research include a total of 36 investigators at eight universities and medical centers.