New Spray Treatment for Wounds

A new approach to wound-care is embodied in a spray that avoids the need to cover up open injuries with bandages and helps halt the spread of superbugs such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

The spray encourages the skin to heal itself naturally by creating an invisible web across the wound. Amino acids and proteins in the spray mimic those made by blood and rapidly speed up the cell growth to fill any holes. Wounds need be cleaned only once, at the start of the healing process, and are not allowed to get wet at all. The spray, called Youki, was developed by Depeche Mode Laboratories (Maidenhead, UK).

"You need to spray several times to build up a protective film,” said Sujata Jolly, research director at Depeche Mode. "There has to be something to cover the wound, because you still have to protect it. The barrier it creates is breathable.”

MRSA is almost always spread by direct physical contact and not through the air. Spread may also occur through indirect contact by touching objects such as sheets or towels that are contaminated by the infected skin of a person with MRSA. Youki addresses these problems by not requiring healthcare staff, patients, or caregivers, to touch wound dressings.