Diabetic patients whose natural wound-healing capabilities are compromised often develop chronic wounds that are slow to heal. Such non-healing wounds could cause serious infections resulting in painful outcomes, such as limb amputation. To address this global health care challenge, a team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) engineered an innovative magnetic gel that promises to accelerate the healing of diabetic wounds, reduce the rates of recurrence, and in turn, lower the incidents of limb amputations.

Each treatment involves the application of a bandage pre-loaded with a hydrogel containing skin cells for healing and magnetic particles. To maximize therapeutic results, a wireless external magnetic device is used to activate skin cells and accelerate the wound healing process. The ideal duration of magnetic stimulation is about one to two hours.