Collagen, one of the most abundantly found protein in mammals, accounts for as much as 30% of the total protein content of the human body. It has popularly been termed as the glue which allows the body to hold itself together. Collagen is considered to be essential to give the skin its strength and elasticity and for strengthening the blood vessels. In fact, one of the most common reasons why people age is the fact that the level of collagen production decreases as the body grows old. This is one of the main reasons why cosmetics and skin care products that contain collagen are so effective when it comes to anti-aging.

According to recent news, an Israeli biotech firm known as CollPlant has begun human trials of a product that can help to treat wounds. Yeheil Tal, the CEO of CollPlant indicated that despite its countless uses in medical science, manufacturers were primarily dependent on collagen derived from pigs, human corpses and cows. The solution offered by CollPlant allows one to overcome the disadvantages that are associated with other sources.

Collagen is an essential protein to allow the body to heal itself as collagen helps the body to weave and repair damaged flesh. Therefore, when you have a broken bone, collagen plays an extremely important part in allowing your bone to heal again. However, if a part of your bone goes missing, the body will not be able to heal itself. In such cases, doctors apply artificial collagen in the area to assist with the healing process. The problem lies in the fact that the collagen obtained from cows and pigs doesn’t work well, because of the differences in the genetic code. As a result, the wounds do not heal properly and traces of the injury stay behind. On the other hand, the collagen obtained from human corpses is an excellent source for wound and bone repair, but its supply is extremely limited as there are a very few number of donors. This is where the solution offered by CollPlant seems to be so promising. It allows the production of human collagen, thereby offering the body to rely on the material that can be best used to heal the body, without having to rely on the dead.

According to CollPlant, its unique technology allows it to insert human collagen into a tobacco plant which is then raised in a hothouse, thereby ensuring that it remains isolated. These bioengineered plants have been designed to mimic the actual syntheses of the human protein which produces Procollagen, the natural parents of collagen. According to company representatives, the fact that tobacco has a huge biomass allows them to grow a 6 foot tall plant in less than 2 months, thereby making the production process extremely easy and controllable. Furthermore, the tobacco leaves are big in size, thereby having the capacity to hold large amounts of collagen.

The latest product from CollPlant, provided it becomes successful in its human trials, should help to treat irregular wounds, prevent scarring and offer humans with a pure form of human collagen scaffold that aids in the healing process. This study augurs well for the cosmetics and skin care industry as well. The presence of human collagen would simply boost the effectiveness of the product and allow them to come up with ointments, creams and solutions that promise a more potent solution to anti-aging.