Bugs found on skin heal wounds faster

BACTERIA on the surface of the skin can speed up wound healing, according to a recent study involving mice conducted by the National Institute of Health in Maryland in the United States.

When mice wounds were treated with ‘good’ skin bacteria, the tissue repaired faster compared with those not given the bacteria, S. epidermidis.

It’s thought the bacteria worked with the animals’ immune systems to defend against disease-causing microbes and accelerate wound healing, reports the journal Cell.

The researchers will now look at whether the findings apply to humans.