Non-healing wounds are an important clinical problem in individuals with diabetes and other chronic diseases, but few targeted treatments are available. Increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are associated with diabetes, and also disrupt mechanisms of wound healing. Bitar and Al-Mulla provide evidence that antioxidants (inhibitors of ROS) might be a promising therapy for non-healing wounds. They focus their study on the capacity of ROS to interfere with the action of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1), which promotes wound healing. In cultured fibroblasts, a diabetic phenotype and IGF1 resistance results in poor wound healing functions, which are improved on exposure to antioxidants. In rats, pre-treatment with antioxidants increased the capacity of IGF1 treatment to minimise diabetes and accelerate wound healing. Page 375

Written by editorial staff. © 2012. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd
2012
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