University of Bradford, Press and Public Relations Department
For further details contact Dr Eagland on 01274 234721, or Amanda Kirby on 01274 233084
8 March 2000
A UNIQUE gel, that can be used to soak up oil pollution, transport medicines in the body, and even grow new skin cells, is being patented by researchers at the University of Bradford’s School of Pharmacy.
The hydrogel, developed by Dr Donald Eagland and Dr Nicholas Crowther, is expected to make a major environmental, medical and industrial impact.
It is made up almost entirely of water, yet can thicken to produce a substance that is 100 to 1000 times stronger than any other gel of its kind.
This is because it is composed of two very long elastic-type molecules which form strong bonds with each other to form a 3D network, similar to a cage, that holds in the water.
The consistency of the gel can be altered, to make it thick, thin, or sticky, by adjusting the number of bonds and increasing the amount of large molecules.
"We think it is has a very strong environmental value and is going to be extremely useful as a drug delivery system," Dr Eagland commented.
A liquid form of the gel can be sprayed on to oil spillages then, as it thickens, be rolled up like a carpet. The absorbed oil can later be removed from the gel.
And when oil is no longer flowing of its own accord, pumped hydrogel can be used to force oil from rock. It can also gel together the sediment that gathers round oil drill heads, so that the debris does not damage the machine as it stops and starts.
Because it has staying power, the hydrogel acts as a long-lasting drug transporter, and is ideal to inject into arthritic joints along with substances such as collagen. And, when made into a sticky consistency, can be spread onto the skin as a wound dressing incorporating antiseptics and antibiotics.
The hydrogel also has significance for the agricultural world, being a perfect carrier for tiny particles of herbicide. It is possible to control the quantity and speed at which the herbicide leaks out of the gel, making it safer, more economic and environmentally friendly for the farmer to use.
Now the team, along with Dr Stephen Britland, also of the University’s School of Pharmacy, are starting work on a project to use the gel to grow skin cells, that would be perfect for placing onto the surface of large burns.
The new skin would be placed directly next to the wound, with the hydrogel above it forming a protective sterile barrier that could receive growth factor and antibiotics.
"We hope to take the hydrogel forward for commercial development and are looking for potential partners at the moment," said Dr Eagland.
ENDS