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RESEARCH NEWS STORY
May 19, 2025
Novel Crosslinked Gelatin Foam Dressing Shows Great Promise for Wound Recovery
Crosslinked gelatin foam dressing supports safe, efficient wound healing by promoting tissue repair and absorbing wound exudate
Wound healing is a complex process that needs a moist environment. Gelatin, a commonly occurring natural material, has been extensively studied for developing biocompatible wound dressings. However, its poor durability limits its efficacy as a wound dressing material. Addressing this issue, a research team from Japan and Taiwan developed a crosslinked gelatin foam dressing that has suitable porosity and mechanical stability, is biocompatible, and exhibits favorable safety and wound healing efficiency.
Wound healing is a slow and complex biological process, requiring a moist environment to support new tissue formation and minimize the risk of infection. Moisture accelerates healing by softening and removing dead tissue, promoting collagen synthesis and skin cell (keratinocyte) development, and reducing pain. Compared to traditional materials like gauze and bandages, moist wound dressings—such as foam dressings—typically shorten healing time by three to five times. Therefore, the ideal wound dressing must maintain suitable healing conditions while protecting against infection and trauma, managing wound exudate, reducing pain and scarring, and being easy to apply and remove.
To meet these requirements, researchers have explored a wide range of natural and synthetic materials for wound dressings. Naturally derived materials are generally preferred due to their biocompatibility and lower risk of adverse reactions. Among them, gelatin—a protein derived from animal collagen—has been widely studied. Gelatin supports blood clotting, anti-inflammatory responses, and tissue regeneration because of its structural similarity to the body’s extracellular matrix. However, one major drawback of gelatin is its rapid degradation in moist environments, which limits its effectiveness as a primary dressing material.
In light of this challenge, researchers from Anti-Microbial Savior BioteQ Co., Ltd. (AMS BioteQ) and National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (NTUST) in Taiwan along with Tokushima University in Japan have developed a novel gelatin crosslinked foam dressing and tested its suitability using various analytical techniques. The study was led by Sung-Ling Tang, a researcher and healthcare professional affiliated with the National Defense Medical Center (NDMC) and Tri-Service General Hospital (TSGH) in Taiwan. Their findings were published in Natural Sciences on March 19, 2025.
“We investigated the wound healing efficacy of crosslinked foam dressing composed of gelatin, glutaraldehyde, and Tween 20. We characterized its physical and chemical properties. Then we performed in vitro cytotoxicity testing and wound healing assays in cells lines to assess its biocompatibility and wound healing efficacy. Finally, we conducted a skin incisional mouse model study to evaluate its performance in vivo,” explains Dr. Tang.
Using foaming and freeze-drying processes, the team fabricated dressings with various combinations of gelatin, glutaraldehyde, and Tween 20. The resulting foams had a highly porous structure, with evenly distributed pores averaging 60–70 micrometers in size. The material demonstrated excellent mechanical stability and a high-water absorption rate of approximately 65%. Among the tested formulations, the dressing made with 0.017% glutaraldehyde and 0.1% Tween 20 showed the most optimal properties and was selected for further testing.
Biocompatibility was assessed using four cell lines derived from mice and humans (including both Caucasian and Mongoloid backgrounds). Over 80% of the cells remained viable in the presence of the dressing, with no signs of cytotoxicity. Interestingly, cells of Caucasian origin showed slightly higher viability, though both groups showed similarly high compatibility. The dressing also promoted cell migration and wound repair, confirming its effectiveness in supporting healing.
In live animal tests using BALB/cByJNarl mice, the dressing outperformed a commercially available collagen sponge. Treated wounds healed faster, showed less inflammation, and exhibited better tissue regeneration. Additionally, microscopic analysis of liver and kidney tissues revealed no signs of inflammation or toxicity.
Notably, the dressing performed well when applied either dry or wet, suggesting its potential utility in a wide range of clinical scenarios. Its combination of safety, strong healing support, and user-friendly design makes it a promising alternative to conventional dressings.
“The consistent high performance of our crosslinked gelatin foam dressing bolsters the reliability and significance of our research, presenting a persuasive argument for its clinical implementation. Future studies should determine the wound healing effects of this gelatin-based dressing in different races to further confirm its efficacy,” concludes Dr. Tang.
Furthermore, the team plans to extend the results of this study to develop more treatments for different indications. AMS BioteQ has successfully developed several technologies and products including SIPSIP Foam and SIPSIP Pro, which could promote wound healing process. With continued validation, this dressing could help advance wound care, especially for chronic or post-surgical wounds, where healing is prolonged and infection risks are high.
Reference
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Authors
Title of original paper
Journal |
Meng-Yi Bai1,2, Yu-Ting Liu1, Ying-Ting Yeh3, Yi-Ling Hong3, Yi-Ju Tsai3, Yu-ChiWang4, Masahi Kurashina5, Mikito Yasuzawa5, Sung-Ling Tang6,7
Development and Application of a Crosslinked Gelatin Foam Dressing for Wound Recovery
Natural Sciences |
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| DOI
Affiliations |
1Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology 2Adjunct Appointment to the Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Defense Medical Center 3Division of Drug Discovery, Research and Development Department, Anti-Microbial Savior BioteQ Co. Ltd 4Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center 5Department Applied Chemistry, Tokushima University 6School of Pharmacy, National Defense Medical Center 7Department of Pharmacy Practice, Tri-Service General Hospital |
Image Title: Researchers from Taiwan and Japan develop a novel crosslinked gelatin foam dressing that has the potential to replace conventional wound dressings
Image Caption: Wound healing is a slow, complex process that needs a moist environment for effective tissue regeneration with minimal pain and scarring. Many synthetic and natural materials have been explored for wound dressing applications including gelatin. While gelatin has suitable properties and biological compatibility for use in wound management and care, it has poor durability in moist environments. To mitigate this challenge, researchers from Taiwan and Japan developed a crosslinked gelatin foam dressing that demonstrates favorable physical and chemical properties, biocompatibility, safety profile, and wound healing efficacy; with the potential to outperform and replace conventional dressings.
Image Credit: Meng-Yi Bai from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taiwan
License type: Original content
About Dr. Sung-Ling Tang[1]
Dr. Sung-Ling Tang is a research and healthcare professional pharmacist associated with the National Defense Medical Center and Tri-Service General Hospital, Taiwan. His works mainly focuses on pharmacology and the practice of pharmacy. He was earlier affiliated with the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. He has about 11 publications listed on ResearchGate with over 100 citations.
About Anti-Microbial Savior BioteQ Co., Ltd. (AMS BioteQ)
AMS BioteQ, founded by Dr. George Tsai in 2018, focuses on drug development and innovative medical materials research. One of the milestones is that AMS BioteQ focuses on “moist wound healing” and has successfully launched two primary products: SIPSIP Foam and SIPSIP Pro (The study material). Especially, SIPSIP Pro emphasizes deep wound healing with scar-free, painless, and eco-friendly properties, incorporating aesthetic medicine techniques for broader applications.
For inquiries and collaboration, please contact:
Author: Yi-Ju Tsai
Email: georgetsai@amsbioteq.com