The treatment that promises to reduce diabetes amputations

There will be about 100 people, in 10 health centers throughout Chile, which can prove the effectiveUnique treatment in the world, made based on copper and aloe vera, achieves in a short time cure these, so far, intractable wounds.

Diabetes forces about 2,000 annual amputations in Chile as a result of chronic wounds that Rafael Méndez, executive director of Cuperscience, says.In addition, there are more than 80 thousand diabetics that suffer from standing ulcers and that are in permanent treatment, which means very high costs for the public system.

The goal of Cupersan, along with healing these wounds and avoiding amputation, is to present to doctors a new solution created with 100% products developed in Chile, a novel product that expects to change the lives of many people.

from iodine to copper

The history of Cupersan began in the veterinary field in 2012, when Rafael Méndez, a biotechnology engineer, had to look for a replacement for iodine, a fundamental element in a remedy they used to avoid mastitis in the uders of the cows.What happened was that, with the 2011 earthquake in Japan and after Fukushima's nuclear disaster, the price of iodine was multiplied by six, so it had to be found something that could fulfill the role of bactericide that the iodine has, andThat was copper.

When they began using this new product based on copper for cows mastitis, veterinarians realized that the typical wounds in the udders of these animals began to heal quickly.

However, Rafael says, the key moment and that caught his attention, was when a group of veterinarians who collected street dogs and that he had asked for access to this remedy for mastitis, informed them that dog's wounds were also healing.It was there when Rafael Méndez noticed that there was something special in copper, and decided to start investigating what it was and what could be done."This must be taken to humans," he thought, and thus reached diabetic foot ulcers.

When the research was already done, in 2014, they approached the Association of Diabetics of Chile to show them their work and propose to try this product in patients and, in addition, they presented it to the Ethics Committee of the Hospital del Salvador, with excellent results.

Then, they were contacted by a business incubator that is called Ganeshalab and that, as Rafael specifies, have helped them a lot."We came from the world of science and we didn't know anything about how to undertake, therefore their help has been essential," he says.

two stages for diabetes

What are diabetic foot ulcers like?It is an infection that is formed in the foot, explains this biotechnology engineer, in which microorganisms are organized forming bacterial biofilms, which are a kind of “bunker” in which bacteria are protected and are constituted of an extracellular polymeric substancewhich prevents the entry of antibodies and antibiotics, guaranteeing the survival of the pathogens lodged there.Therefore, explains Rafael Mémdex, it is so complex to fight these wounds.And, to be able to eliminate them, it is necessary to weaken this substance, property that has.

How do you do it?This innovative treatment is performed in two stages.In the first, it should be applied directly to the wound, Cupersan Clean, a spray that contains surfactants capable of penetrating these bacterial biofilms and has the ability to contribute to the cleaning work of the lactic copper-acid complex.Additionally, it favors the detachment of the spherical tissue.

In its second stage and with theIn order to keep the wound bacterial load low, Cupersan gel must be applied, a greenish tone hydrogel, with high adhesive power that can be used as a compress in infected wounds that concentrates copper ions, as well as moistureIn the wound.

In chronic wounds with high levels of proteases, this treatment is able to reverse the maceration of the wound and reactivate the healing process."Diabetic feet ulcers have exacerbated levels on top (protease) that degrade the dead tissue and also degrade the tissue of growing, and Cupersan is able to stop the progress of proteases," explains Rafael Méndez on the method of actionof this procedure on this type of wounds.

projecting marketing

Rafael Méndez says that they already have the pharmaceutical laboratory that will make their product and Cuperscience, your company, is registered in the Public Health Institute to market this product."But before, we want to hire these 10 care centers and give this treatment to 100 people who need it," he adds.

In relation to investment, in CuScience they are happy, because they have had excellent answers.They have been surprised at the number of interested parties they want to help, "many people have approached us because this has a very large social impact," says Méndez.

Currently, the treatment has been applied in more than 50 patients and there is a clinical study developed together with the Chilean Diabetics Association, where 30 patients with very good results were treated.

In the world an amputation occurs every 20 seconds, as a consequence of wounds that did not close, says Méndez, “and the expectations are very good, we know that the treatment works very well, we even have a documented case of a diabetic foot with a injured degree degree5 that was saved ... They were about to amputate their foot and the only thing they needed to try was with Cupersan (...) a few days after the treatment started the wound began to close and at three months the wound had healed, ”he says aboutOne of his most successful cases occurred in a Villarrica hospital.

It ends very hopeful about the new projections of the power of copper worldwide: “In a time we will be able to leave as a country and say that Chile not only sells copper and cables, but now also innovation in health in Case to this chemical element”

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