Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington are exploring a new approach to improve recovery from battlefield blast injuries using zinc. The team’s study aims to develop a method that protects and regenerates damaged muscle tissue, potentially reducing the long-term effects of trauma.
Blast injuries, common in combat, can severely damage muscle and bone. While immediate medical interventions such as tourniquets and bandages save lives, they often contribute to secondary tissue damage. Restricted blood flow followed by reperfusion (a sudden return of oxygenated blood) can worsen muscle destruction, creating a major obstacle to full recovery.
The UT Arlington team, including experts from nursing and bioengineering, is investigating whether a zinc-infused gel can limit this secondary damage and promote healing. Zinc plays a known role in muscle repair, but careful dosing is essential to avoid toxicity. The researchers plan to use gelatin methacryloyl, an FDA-approved material, as a delivery method to study zinc’s effect on post-injury regeneration.
By combining insights from trauma medicine and materials science, the study seeks to identify a safe, effective way to apply zinc directly to injured muscle. If successful, this approach could minimize tissue loss after blast injuries and accelerate functional recovery.
The research is part of the UT System’s Trauma Research and Combat Casualty Care Collaborative (TRC4), which focuses on improving trauma care for both military personnel and civilians. Blast injuries account for a large share of combat trauma, and survivors often face extended rehabilitation and long-term disability.
According to Interesting Engineering, beyond military applications, the researchers believe the method could benefit civilians suffering from severe muscle injuries, such as those resulting from car accidents, sports trauma, or natural disasters. The goal is to develop a practical treatment that can be applied directly to damaged tissue, reducing ischemia-reperfusion injury and supporting the body’s natural regeneration processes.
If the study confirms zinc’s protective and regenerative potential, it could represent an advancement in both battlefield medicine and emergency trauma care, offering faster recovery and improved outcomes for patients with severe muscle injuries.
