Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine
Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine

Mission: Space-Age Patches

In the StellarHeal project, researchers are working to develop innovative wound care solutions for use in space. It is an idea that could also benefit many people on the earth.

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Project StellarHeal

Wounds that need little more than disinfectant spray and an adhesive patch on earth can quickly become a problem in space. Radiation damages DNA and impairs cell division, while microgravitation curbs cell migration and growth, resulting in delayed wound closure and poor formation of scar tissue. Conditions in space also impair the body’s natural immune activity, increasing the risk of infection. 
 

A high-tech patch for wound healing in space

Everyday first aid for use in space: In the StellarHeal project, a team of researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC and the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM are working with ILK Dresden and Hannover Medical School (MHH) on a kind of “super adhesive patch” to be used on astronauts’ wounds. “The patch is based on four existing technologies, three of them from Fraunhofer’s labs and one from ILK,” explains project manager Dieter Groneberg, who is responsible for skin research at Fraunhofer ISC in Würzburg. The idea is not simply to close the wound with a protective patch but first to apply a special padding made of stabilizing silica gel fibers, which stops the bleeding. In addition, after the bleeding has been stopped, the pad is enriched with stem cell-based fibroblasts and macrophages contained in a protective gel. The gel contains sufficient nutrients to keep the fibroblasts and macrophages alive and ready to do their work before they enter the normal blood supply. While macrophages defend against pathogens, eliminate cell residue and actively control wound healing, fibroblasts play a crucial role in repairing tissue damage and rebuilding tissue. All this means that this kind of patch can help support healing in space in multiple ways: The wound closes faster, the risk of infection decreases and less scar tissue is formed. 

A space technology with major impact on earth 

“Another bonus is that the nutrient medium in which the fibroblasts and macrophages are embedded can be cryonically preserved, meaning that it is preserved by freezing,” says Groneberg, a biochemist by training. “A wound healing paste that can be stored securely for years is a big plus for space stations, which can’t exactly get supplies from the earth quickly.” Thinking a bit farther ahead, the innovative adhesive patch technology could even allow for personalized wound care for astronauts, and thus even better healing. To achieve this, space crews would need to give samples of cells before their mission launches. The cells would be reprogrammed into pluripotent stem cells and then used as a source for the necessary fibroblasts and macrophages. And even farther into the future than that, this could be an exciting solution for making it safer to colonize the moon or Mars. However, there are plenty of people who could benefit from StellarHeal right here on earth. “In Germany alone, there are more than 400,000 people with chronic wounds, often as a result of conditions like diabetes or bedsores,” Groneberg explains. “The costs of medical wound care for these patients come to about eight billion euros a year.” Wound care materials account for about 40 percent of that amount, and the costs of chronic wounds are expected to rise in Germany to nearly ten billion euros between now and 2030. 

The researchers hope their new super patch will both alleviate suffering and lower healthcare spending. The macrophages embedded in the patch can be specifically polarized, so they adapt to different wound healing scenarios, Groneberg explains: “Wounds in space react by forming excessive scar tissue, so we use macrophages specifically polarized to counteract excessive tissue fibrosis. By contrast, diabetic wounds, which often involve inadequate collagen formation, could benefit from macrophages with profibrotic effects to support tissue regeneration.” Right now, the researchers are working to optimally combine the individual components of the space patch before the clinical trial phase starts.