Bandage-like device delivers hydrogen sulfide to wounds, boosting blood flow where healing stalls

by Camryn Haines, Texas A&M University

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For most people, a blister or small cut is an inconvenience. For others, it can become something much more serious.

When wounds fail to heal—a common problem in patients with diabetes—the result can be infection, tissue damage and long-term complications. Now, researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) are developing an approach that could improve healing by increasing blood flow directly at the wound site.

The research focuses on delivering hydrogen sulfide, a gas naturally produced in the body, through a device similar to a bandage that applies the gas directly to injured tissue. The device is being developed in collaboration with Exhalix, a company focused on diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for vascular health and wound healing. By targeting the wound itself rather than the entire body, the approach aims to improve circulation where it is needed most—a key factor in whether a wound is able to heal.

"If we can improve healing in these hard-to-treat wounds, it could make a real difference," said Dr. Cristine Heaps, interim head of VMBS' Department of Physiology and Pharmacology. "People are losing limbs to wounds most of us would never think twice about."

The work is published in the Journal of Biological Engineering.

Improving blood flow to support healing

Hydrogen sulfide plays an important role in the body's ability to heal by improving circulation, helping blood vessels relax and widen—a process known as vasodilation—and promoting angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels.

Together, these processes increase blood flow, allowing oxygen and nutrients to reach damaged tissue and support recovery.

This is especially important in patients with limited circulation, such as those with diabetes or ischemia, a condition in which tissues do not receive enough oxygen because of reduced blood flow.

Chronic wounds are a significant challenge in these patients, often requiring ongoing treatment and increasing the risk of serious complications. Without adequate circulation, even minor wounds can struggle to heal.

"In many of these patients, the body just isn't getting enough blood to the wound to support healing," Heaps said.

Current treatments often involve cleaning the wound, managing infection, and using specialized dressings or therapies to encourage healing, but they do not directly address the underlying lack of blood flow.

The bandage-like device the research team is developing would instead apply hydrogen sulfide directly to the wound, using a specialized coating that generates controlled amounts of the gas at the wound site—a localized approach Heaps says is critical for safety.

For example, hydrogen sulfide distributed throughout the body could cause blood vessels to widen too much, reducing blood flow to vital organs like the brain.

"If that effect happened throughout the entire body, your blood pressure would drop too much because your vessels would all widen at once," Heaps said. "By keeping it localized, we can target the wound without affecting the rest of the body."

Early findings suggest that the device keeps the gas concentrated at the wound site, allowing it to act directly on damaged tissue without circulating through the rest of the body.

Building on existing treatments

In addition to developing this new approach, researchers are also exploring how it could work alongside current standards of care. One of the most widely used treatments for chronic wounds is negative pressure wound therapy, which uses controlled suction to remove fluids and promote healing.

"We're using our device in combination with negative pressure wound therapy to see if we can improve outcomes beyond what either approach can do on its own," Heaps said.

In this approach, hydrogen sulfide is delivered for a set period before suction is reintroduced, allowing the gas to act on the wound without being immediately removed. The team is studying whether this combined strategy can further improve blood flow and healing.

"This could apply to a wide range of patients—not just those with diabetes, but anyone with wounds that are slow to heal," Heaps said. "It could also help surgical patients and those recovering from injuries that limit blood flow."

The research remains in the early, preclinical stage and has yet to be evaluated in human patients.

"We're still working to understand the best dosing and how often it should be delivered to get the greatest benefit," Heaps said.

While more research is needed, early findings suggest that delivering hydrogen sulfide directly to wounds could offer a new way to improve healing, especially for patients who face the greatest challenges in recovery.

Publication details

Matthew Justus et al, A novel device for in-situ on-demand hydrogen sulfide generation and delivery to increase tissue perfusion to chronic wounds, Journal of Biological Engineering (2026). DOI: 10.1186/s13036-026-00654-9

Journal information: Journal of Biological Engineering

Key medical concepts

Hydrogen SulfideDiabetesIschemia

Clinical categories

Common illnesses & Prevention Provided by Texas A&M University Who's behind this story?

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