Source: Business Insider
A team of doctors are testing an unconventional treatment to reduce pain for patients suffering from second- and third-degree burns.
Rather than using more painful and time-consuming methods, researchers at the Jose Frota Institute in Brazil found the skin from tilapia fish helps minimize scarring.
“We saw that the amount of collagen proteins, types 1 and 3, which are very important for scarring, exist in large quantities in tilapia skin, even more than in human skin and other skins,” explained Dr. Edmar Maciel, a burn specialist at the Jose Frota Institute.
Since the skin of tilapia fish is considered fish-farm waste, the treatment costs 75 cents less than applying traditional methods such as bandages and cream.
While the fish is found in Brazil, doctors hope the successful testing period of the tilapia skin can eventually help burn victims in other countries, including the US.
Read full story at: Business Insider