[Animals] A nanomaterial one-two punch quickly heals wounds in diabetic animal model

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Wounds that are superficial for some can be life-threatening for others. With diabetic wounds, healing can be slow, particularly in the feet, increasing the tissue's susceptibility to infection. Foot ulcers and other diabetic foot complications have similar mortality rates to some cancers, yet progress toward improved treatments has plateaued. Now, researchers may have found a better way to kickstart the healing process. Arizona State University (ASU) bioengineers have developed a multistep strategy that applies different nanomaterials to wounds at different times to support both early- and late-stage healing. In a study published in the journal Biomaterials, the authors' method outperformed a common wound dressing in a diabetic mouse model, closing wounds faster and producing more robust skin tissue. "Healing a wound is like building a house. You have to lay the foundation first before you can put in the plumbing," said co-first author Jordan Yaron, Ph.D., a bioengineering assistant research professor at ASU. "With our approach, we're mindful of which stage the wound is in. Providing the right treatment at the right time is key." The researchers' analysis also suggests that their approach unexpectedly activated an immune cell po[CENSORED]tion not normally seen in wounds that can resolve inflammation, which highlights a new potential avenue to accelerate healing. A multifaceted solution for a multifaceted problem Clinically, the standard practice for wounds is to keep them clean and use a dressing to protect them while they heal. This approach gets the job done for most injuries but falls short for patients with conditions that interfere with the healing process, such as diabetes. In addition to causing poor circulation and neuropathy, diabetes can disrupt wound healing by impairing the function of various immune cells. The researchers devised a strategy to treat wounds like these and compared it to a commonly used dressing in a diabetic mouse model. For the first step, the team fabricated a silk nanomaterial dressing embedded with gold nanorods. Because gold nanoparticles readily convert light to heat, the team was able to direct a laser at dressings placed over fresh wounds in mice, producing heat that quickly sealed them in place and provided a high level of protection. The strategy, which the authors previously found success with, creates something akin to an instantaneous scab, Yaron explained. This time around, the authors added histamine to the mix, a natural biochemical produced by the immune system that plays important roles in inflammation, blood vessel development, and allergic reactions. Inflammation dominates the body's initial response to injuries, but eventually subsides to allow the body to rebuild. However, diabetic wounds can get stuck in first gear, maintaining persistent, low-grade inflammation, which can inhibit the healing process.

https://phys.org/news/2024-05-nanomaterial-quickly-wounds-diabetic-animal.html