Pak UK Collaborations

The University of Sheffield, UK

This Pakistan–UK collaborative project of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yar was established between COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus and The University of Sheffield (UK). It addresses the urgent need for affordable and effective wound care solutions in Pakistan, where access to advanced dressings is limited due to economic constraints. With a rapidly growing population and a high burden of diabetes and burn injuries, chronic and non-healing wounds represent a major healthcare challenge.

The project aims to develop an advanced, low-cost wound dressing capable of stimulating angiogenesis to accelerate wound healing, particularly in diabetic ulcers and burn wounds. The innovation is based on the incorporation of 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), a small natural sugar shown to promote new blood vessel formation, into clinically accepted wax-coated cotton dressings widely used in Pakistan.

Building on six years of Pakistan–UK collaborative research protected by joint patents, the project has progressed from laboratory studies to animal safety and efficacy testing, demonstrating accelerated wound healing in animal models. Industrial translation is supported by Cotton Craft Pvt. Ltd., ensuring cGMP production, sterilization, and packaging. Clinical translation is being guided by experienced clinicians and regulatory experts in collaboration with UK translational researchers. This partnership aims to deliver a clinically translatable, scalable, and sustainable wound care solution with significant impact for low- and middle-income countries.