A wound that won't heal, closed in 12 weeks: a skin therapy grown from the patient wins its field's top honour

A diabetic foot ulcer that refuses to close is not a small thing — it can mean months of dressings, infection risk and, in the worst cases, amputation. PolarityBio's SkinTE takes a different approach: it is made from the patient's own skin cells, grown into tiny living units that help the wound rebuild itself. Its pivotal Phase 3 trial, COVER DFUS II, enrolled 120 people whose ulcers had already resisted standard care, and met its main goal — complete wound closure within 12 weeks. Presented in Las Vegas this week, the results won the Highest Scoring Abstract Award in clinical research at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care, and US regulators have already granted the therapy priority review, with a decision due by March 16, 2027. Full data will follow in a peer-reviewed journal.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation