A topical gel made from a patient's own blood appears to help wounds heal quicker and better, according to preliminary research. The autologous platelet gel (APG) was made from the whole blood of eight healthy volunteers.

In the study, each volunteer received five full-thickness skin punch wounds 4 mm in diameter on each thigh. The wounds on one thigh of each person were treated with topical APG. The wounds on the other thigh were treated conventionally with an antibiotic ointment, a semiocclusive dressing, or both.

After 17 days, wounds treated with APG were more than 81% closed, compared with 57% closure for the control wounds. Over time, the APG-treated sites and the control sites had similar characteristics in terms of cellular replication, vascularity, granulation tissue, and epithelialization. No one experienced an infection or any other serious adverse reactions.

The study was funded by Medronic, Inc.; the authors have disclosed financial or professional ties with the company.

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