Small molecular weight approaches to Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration.
Non-healing (chronic) skin ulcers occur most commonly in the elderly and in patients with diabetes. With the demographics of both increasing world-wide, chronic ulcers represent a growing clinical and economic problem. Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) is a significant complication of diabetes, affecting 10-25% of all patients and a higher percentage, up to 43%, in developing countries. DFU is the main cause of hospitalization among people with diabetes and responsible for over 80% of all lower leg amputations. There are currently no effective treatments for chronic wounds. Advanced treatments, such as physical appliances providing negative pressure to the wound site, are being developed and offer limited efficacy.
We have designed small molecular weight peptidomimetic units able to mimic the protein-protein interactions between fibronectin and its cellular receptor, and are able to kick-start the wound healing process. The compounds are active both in-vitro and in-vivo (in diabetic mice), and have an excellent safety profile based on preliminary data.
The next stages of this project will involve developing better, more effective compounds as well as understanding their intracellular mode of action. This project will involve collaborations with colleagues at Caledonian University, the University of Dundee, and Novartis.
