Russian scientists from Stavropol State University have developed a new technology for extracting substances from chicken embryos for curing burns, slowly healing wounds, trophic ulcers and other diseases.

Embryonic cells and tissues are often used for curing traumas and various diseases, which depend on damaged tissue ability to recover. Russian scientists suggest using chicken embryos as a raw material for embryonic therapeutic substances, since chicken embryos are cheap and easily grown and maintained under laboratory conditions.

When an egg (female sex cell) gets fertilized, it spends a very short period of time – an equivalent to several divisions – in hen’s organism. Then chicken embryo continues developing in a nested egg during hatching or incubation. This property appeared to be very useful for Stavropol biologists, who developed a technology for controlling embryo development since its first minute in an incubator. Researchers irradiated an embryo with laser, thus activating propagation of cell elements and metabolism. In other words, scientists accelerated cell maturation and development of cell structural elements, or organ rudiments, including immune and blood-forming (hematopoietic) organs. As a result, many morphological and functional (immune and biochemical) parameters of experimental embryos were much higher than that of embryos, which didn’t undergo any irradiation. Researchers have tested irradiation regimes, which can directly stimulate propagation and functional maturation of particular cells and organs.

Laser activation helps chicken embryos to reach development stage, when their extracts show high biological activity, on eighth day. Embryos could have been a bit older with naturally better developed organs, scientists say, but in that case feathers, which appear on tenth day, make extraction procedure much more complicated. Moreover, more mature embryos contain less highly active substances, responsible for cell division, which makes regeneration potential of embryonic cells and tissues much lower.

After chicken embryo is taken out of an egg, its tissues are milled and homogenized. Then they are purified, until the end product consists of tissue homogenate – finely milled tissues, cells and tissue fluid.

The researchers spent nearly nine years developing new tissue preparation, however the result was worth time spent – the innovation is 100 times cheaper than its analogues and much more effective. The extract form chicken embryos can easily and rapidly heal burns, bed sores, slowly healing wounds, trophic ulcers without everyday redressment.

Source: Science & Life

Kizilova Anna