Magnesium and zinc ions working together in a hydrogel accelerated wound healing in rats by boosting skin cell migration, collagen production, and new blood vessel formation. The magnesium enhanced zinc absorption in skin cells, triggering a specific cellular pathway (STAT3) that transformed fibroblasts into the specialized cells needed for tissue repair.

Researchers created a hydrogel dressing infused with magnesium and zinc, tested how quickly it released these minerals, then studied its effects on human skin cells in the lab and on full-thickness wounds in rats.

Funding not disclosed in abstract