1999-2010
The Healing Breakthrough
Wounds That Wouldn't Close
Key Moment
Wounds healed in half the normal time
Diabetic patients often develop wounds that simply won't heal. Poor circulation and damaged nerves create ulcers that can last for months or years, sometimes leading to amputation. In 1999, researchers discovered that TB-500 could help.
Dr. Hynda Kleinman at the NIH applied TB-500 to wounds in diabetic mice. The results were remarkable — wounds healed in almost half the normal time. The peptide was doing something no other drug could do: it was telling stem cells to migrate to the wound site and start repairing tissue.
The peptide also reduced scarring. Instead of forming thick scar tissue, TB-500-treated wounds healed more like normal skin. For burn victims and surgery patients, this could mean the difference between disfigurement and normal appearance.