(Photo/iStock)

The USC Limb Preservation Program has been awarded an 18-month, $1.43 million grant from the Department of Defense to support an innovative wound-healing program.

The group will be studying the effects of stimulating the spleen in people with catastrophic tissue loss to promote the release of anti-inflammatory cells and cytokines. The group will partner with General Electric to explore whether this technology might be able to help heal military members and their civilian counterparts more rapidly.

“As implausible as this sounds, there are compelling data suggesting that focused stimulation of the spleen might help upregulate factors that help reduce inflammation and promote healing,” David G. Armstrong, DPM, PhD, professor of surgery and co-director of the Limb Preservation Program. “We look forward to exploring whether this might become an inexpensive, next generation, non-invasive therapy for soldiers, sailors and civilians alike.”