Abstract
Chronic wounds in patients suffering from type II diabetes mellitus (DMII) where wounds remain open with a complicated pathophysiology, healing, and recovery process is a public health concern. Normal wound healing plays a critical role in wound closure, restoration of mechanical properties, and the biochemical characteristics of the remodeled tissue. Biological scaffolds provide a tissue substitute to help facilitate wound healing by mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the dermis. In the current study an electrospun biomimetic scaffold, wound healing device (WHD), containing tropoelastin (TE) and collagen was synthesized to mimic the biochemical and mechanical characteristics of healthy human skin. The WHD was compared to a commercially available porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) matrix that has been used in both partial and full-thickness wounds, Oasis® Wound Matrix. Wound closure rates, histochemistry, qPCR, and mechanical testing of treated wound sites were evaluated. The WHD in a splinted, full-thickness, diabetic murine wound healing model demonstrated an enhanced rate of wound closure, decreased tissue inflammation, skin organ regeneration, and a stronger and more durable remodeled tissue that more closely mimics native unwounded skin compared to the control device.
Competing Interest Statement
Robert S. Kellar PhD consults for Axolotl Biologix and is a scientific advisor for Protein Genomics. Robert B. Diller PhD works for a regenerative medicine company, selling membrane products in the wound market. Aaron J. Tabor PhD works for Axolotl Biologix. Dominic D. Dominguez works for Axolotl Biologix. Robert G. Audet works for Axolotl Biologix. Tatum A. Bardsley works for Axolotl Biologix. Alyssa J. Talbert has no disclosure to report. Nathan Cruz has no disclosure to report. Alison Ingraldi works for Axolotl Biologix. Burt D. Ensley PhD is the owner of Protein Genomics.
Footnotes
Alternative key words to consider (find out if 3-6 refers to words or groups of words):
Wound closure
Closure
Device
Mechanical properties