A new bandage treatment for diabetic foot ulcers, which has been found to improve patient outcomes, has been designed by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast.

The treatment, known as a scaffold, has also found to be cost effective.

Diabetic foot ulcers are a serious complication of diabetes which can lead to lower limb amputations. Figures from Diabetes Ireland show that in 2020, 608 people with diabetes underwent a lower limb amputation, while a further 2,536 were hospitalised for foot ulceration treatment, spending an average of 14 days in hospital.

According to the researchers at Queen’s, the treatment strategy required for the effective healing of diabetic foot ulcers is a complex process that requires several combined therapeutic approaches. As a result, there is a significant clinical and economic burden associated with these treatments.

The scaffold structure designed by the team is a novel carrier for cell and drug delivery that enhances wound healing. The structures are produced using 3D bioprinting technology.

“These scaffolds are like windows that enable doctors to monitor the healing constantly. This avoids needing to remove them constantly, which can provoke infection and delay the healing process. 

“The ‘frame’ has an antibiotic that helps to kill the bacteria infection and the ‘glass’ that can be prepared by collagen/sodium alginate can contain a growth factor to encourage cell growth. The scaffold has two molecular layers that both play an important role in healing the wound,” explained the study’s corresponding author, Prof Dimitrios Lamprou of Queen's School of Pharmacy.

According to the study’s lead author, Katie Glover of Queen’s School of Pharmacy, using bioprinting technology allowed the team to  develop a scaffold “with suitable mechanical properties to treat the wound, which can be easily modified to the size of the wound”.

“This provides a low-cost alternative to current diabetic foot ulcer treatments, which could revolutionise ulcer treatment, improving patient outcomes while reducing the economic burden caused by rapidly increasing patient demand as the number of people with diabetes continues to increase every year,” she said.

The study is published in the journal, Springer Link, and can be viewed here.