Editing Tilapia (section)

== Medical use ==
In [[Brazil]], Nile tilapia (''[[Oreochromis niloticus]]'') fish skin applied as a bandage is first used in a 2017 clinical trial to treat burn injuries,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/brazilian-city-uses-tilapia-fish-skin-treat-burn-victims/|title=Why this Brazilian city uses tilapia fish skin to treat burn victims|publisher=PBS|access-date=2017-03-04}}</ref> after successful trial in rats.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Moraes-Filho |first1=Edmar Maciel Lima-Junior |last2=Picollo |first2=Nelson Sarto |last3=Miranda |first3=Marcelo José Borges de |last4=Ribeiro |first4=Wesley Lyeverton Correia |last5=Alves |first5=Ana Paula Negreiros Nunes |last6=Ferreira |first6=Guilherme Emilio |last7=Parente |first7=Ezequiel Aguiar |last8=Odorico |first8=Manoel |title=Uso da pele de tilápia (Oreochromis niloticus), como curativo biológico oclusivo, no tratamento de queimaduras |journal=Revista Brasileira de Queimaduras |date=2017 |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=10–17 |url=http://rbqueimaduras.org.br/details/341/pt-BR/uso-da-pele-de-tilapia%E2%80%93oreochromis-niloticus%E2%80%94como-curativo-biologico-oclusivo%E2%80%93no-tratamento-de-queimaduras |trans-title=The use of tilapia skin (Oreochromis niloticus), as an occlusive biological dressing, in the treatment of burn wounds |language=pt-BR |issn=2595-170X}}</ref> In the United States, tilapia skin has been used to successfully treat third-degree wounds to the paws of two black bears caught in California's [[Thomas Fire|Thomas wildfire]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2018/01/26/two-bears-were-badly-burned-in-wildfires-and-fish-skin-helped-heal-them/|title=Two bears were badly burned in wildfires, and fish skin helped heal them|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2018-02-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/bears-burned-california-wildfires-healed-fish-skins-released-wild/|title=Bears Burned in California Wildfires Healed With Fish Skins, Released to Wild|publisher=UC Davis|access-date=2018-08-10}}</ref> and also to treat burns on the paws of a black bear from California's [[Carr Fire|Carr wildfire]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/wildfires-bear-treated-fish-skins-firefighters-return|title=WILDFIRES: Bear Treated With Fish Skins; Firefighters Return|publisher=UC Davis|access-date=2018-08-10}}</ref> Nile tilapia skin has completed a phase III clinical trial for superficial partial-thickness burns. The fish skin group showed faster healing, lower pain, reduced dressing changes, and lower treatment costs compared to silver sulfadiazine cream control.<ref name=Burn-P3>{{cite journal |last1=Lima Júnior |first1=EM |last2=de Moraes Filho |first2=MO |last3=Costa |first3=BA |last4=Fechine |first4=FV |last5=Vale |first5=ML |last6=Diógenes |first6=AKL |last7=Neves |first7=KRT |last8=Uchôa |first8=AMDN |last9=Soares |first9=MFADN |last10=de Moraes |first10=MEA |title=Nile Tilapia Fish Skin-Based Wound Dressing Improves Pain and Treatment-Related Costs of Superficial Partial-Thickness Burns: A Phase III Randomized Controlled Trial. |journal=Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery |date=1 May 2021 |volume=147 |issue=5 |pages=1189–1198 |doi=10.1097/PRS.0000000000007895 |pmid=33890902|s2cid=233371603 }}</ref>

Nile tilapia skin has also been used in [[neovaginoplasty]] as a [[skin graft]] material, for [[Müllerian agenesis]], [[vaginal stenosis]], and [[gender-affirming surgery]].<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=31103284|year=2019 |last1=Pinto Medeiros Dias |first1=M. T. |last2=Lima Júnior |first2=E. M. |last3=Negreiros Nunes Alves |first3=A. P. |last4=Monteiro Bilhar |first4=A. P. |last5=Rios |first5=L. C. |last6=Costa |first6=B. A. |last7=Rocha Matos |first7=E. S. |last8=Venancio |first8=A. C. |last9=Bruno |first9=Z. V. |author10=Odorico de Moraes Filho M |last11=Pinheiro Sobreira Bezerra |first11=L. R. |title=Tilapia fish skin as a new biologic graft for neovaginoplasty in Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome: A video case report |journal=Fertility and Sterility |volume=112 |issue=1 |pages=174–176 |doi=10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.04.003 |s2cid=159039703 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|pmid= 32142893|year= 2020|last1= Lima Júnior|first1= E. M.|last2= De Moraes Filho|first2= M. O.|last3= Costa|first3= B. A.|last4= Bruno|first4= Z. V.|author5= Filho MPM|last6= Amaral De Moraes|first6= M. E.|author7= Rodrigues FAR|author8= Paier CRK|author9= Bezerra LRPS|title= Male-to-Female Gender-Affirming Surgery Using Nile Tilapia Fish Skin as a Biocompatible Graft|journal= [[Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology]]|volume= 27|issue= 7|pages= 1474–1475|doi= 10.1016/j.jmig.2020.02.017|s2cid= 212622119|doi-access= free}}</ref>

The skin-growing properties of tilapia skin are believed to be linked to its high [[type I collagen]] content and structural similarities to human skin. The material is also quite strong despite its low thickness.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lima-Junior |first1=EM |last2=de Moraes Filho |first2=MO |last3=Costa |first3=BA |last4=Fechine |first4=FV |last5=de Moraes |first5=MEA |last6=Silva-Junior |first6=FR |last7=Soares |first7=MFADN |last8=Rocha |first8=MBS |last9=Leontsinis |first9=CMP |title=Innovative treatment using tilapia skin as a xenograft for partial thickness burns after a gunpowder explosion. |journal=Journal of Surgical Case Reports |date=June 2019 |volume=2019 |issue=6 |pages=rjz181 |doi=10.1093/jscr/rjz181 |pmid=31214319|pmc=6565829 }}</ref> The current procedure for skin use<ref name=Burn-P3/> calls for chemical sterilization with chlorhexidine, immersion in [[glycerol]], followed by gamma ray sterilization, plus a few washes with saline in between.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Costa |first1=Bruno Almeida |last2=Lima Júnior |first2=Edmar Maciel |last3=de Moraes Filho |first3=Manoel Odorico |last4=Fechine |first4=Francisco Vagnaldo |last5=de Moraes |first5=Maria Elisabete Amaral |last6=Silva Júnior |first6=Francisco Raimundo |last7=do Nascimento Soares |first7=Maria Flaviane Araújo |last8=Rocha |first8=Marina Becker Sales |title=Use of Tilapia Skin as a Xenograft for Pediatric Burn Treatment: A Case Report |journal=Journal of Burn Care & Research |date=14 August 2019 |volume=40 |issue=5 |pages=714–717 |doi=10.1093/jbcr/irz085|pmid=31112268 }}</ref>