In affected individuals, keloid scars (or keloids) form at the site of skin trauma (e.g. surgery, body piercing or any injury) and aggressively outgrow the original boundaries of the wound, invading surrounding skin. Keloids are notoriously difficult to treat as often reoccur following surgical removal, at times worse than before. RAFT has estimated that as many as 1 in 300 people in the UK could suffer from a keloid. Affected individuals often have to live with itchiness, pain and discomfort. They may also experience social anxiety, low self-esteem and intimacy issues.
RAFT is developing a novel treatment which will be specifically designed to prevent the recurrence of the keloid after removal. This will transform the lives of keloid sufferers, and deliver cost savings to the NHS by decreasing the time spent on follow up and aftercare.