The future of burn and wound care looks incredible—in a good way. New research suggests that more different fish skins can be used as wound dressings than currently assumed.
Researchers at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines conducted a study, which aimed to test the feasibility of bangus (Chanos chanos) skin as a basis for skin grafts. Researchers have found that bangus skin is just as durable and effective at inhibiting microbial growth as tilapia fish skin, an emerging skin graft alternative. The discovery could allow bangus to become a cost-effective, environmentally friendly option for treating serious wounds in poorer areas, the researchers said.
In recent years, scientists have explored fish skin as a skin graft material for humans and animals. Compared to other animal skin grafts, fish skin is more resistant to potential viral contamination and may be better at speeding up wound healing. A number of fish skin graft products are currently being tested and have been used in the past emergency crises like the California wildfires in 2023.
However, at the moment, the most commonly used fish in these grafts is tilapia. So Ateneo de Manila researchers wanted to see if the famous bangus (locally known as “bangus”) could also be used as a wound treatment.
They collect fresh skins of bangus and tilapia from a local market in Metro Manila, then peel, rinse, and cut them. Some of the strips were treated with silver nanoparticles, a common antimicrobial, while others were left alone as controls.
Under the microscope, bangus skins retain the structural integrity of their collagen as well as that produced by tilapia. And the treated bangus skin also appears to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth.
“By demonstrating that bangus skin can be effectively sterilized and used similarly to tilapia skin, this research provides innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable wound healing solutions,” the researchers wrote. in their paper, published late last year in BIO Web of Conferences.
As popular as the bangus is in places like the Philippines, its skin is usually thrown in the trash. So being able to use bangus skin as a wound dressing would both help hospitals with fewer resources and also reduce environmental waste. More research needs to be done to confirm the viability of bangus skin for grafts, but it could be an important treatment option, the researchers said.
“This finding has the potential to revolutionize wound care in underserved areas, improving patient outcomes in regions with limited access to advanced medical facilities,” they wrote.
Scientists elsewhere have also begun testing other fish species as base material for skin grafts, such as cod.
