Gene therapy in the treatment of lower extremity wounds

Gene transfer strategies in tissue engineering

Aiming for regeneration of severed or lost parts of the body, the combined application of gene therapy and tissue engineering has received much attention by regenerative medicine. Techniques of molecular biology can enhance the regenerative potential of a biomaterial by co-delivery of therapeutic genes, and several different strategies have been used to achieve that goal. Possibilities for application are many-fold and have been investigated to regenerate tissues such as skin, cartilage, bone, nerve, liver, pancreas and blood vessels. This review discusses advantages and problems encountered with the different gene delivery strategies as far as they relate to tissue engineering, analyses the positive aspects of polymeric gene delivery from matrices and discusses advances and future challenges of gene transfer strategies in selected tissues.

Transversal escharotomies: a new surgical technique adjuvant in the treatment of chronic ulcers with non-arterial etiology in the lower limbs

PURPOSE

Propose a new and alternative surgical procedure in order to aid on treatments of chronic ulcers with non-arterial etiology in the lower limbs, especially those that reoccurs and accomplish of dermatosclerosis and skin contractures determining ankle and foot limits.

METHODS

It describes a medical case regarding a female, 54 years old, with a pre-existing ulcer (sixteen years) on her left leg. Despite of conventional treatments such as curatives, compressive therapy and surgeries, the ulcer on her leg was not cured for three years. The skin dermatosclerosis on her foot and ankle limited her mobility tremendously. The surgery involved the debridement of the ulcers, local phlebectomies and the correction of her scar contraction by a transversal escharotomies. Conventional procedures were applied in pre and post-surgery.

RESULTS

After twelve weeks, the ulcer was completely healed by second intention. Despite the odds, she regained sustainable mobility in her foot and ankle, allowing this patient to wear medical elastic socks. Reoccurrences of the ulcer did not occur during the two years post-surgery.

CONCLUSION

The transversal escharotomies may favor the healing of non-arterial chronic ulcers in the lower limbs, impeding perpetual mechanisms of this sort. For example, the ankle and foot limitation determinates in secondary scars, skin contractures, dermatosclerosis that produce the failure in the muscular calf-pump with deterioration in the ascending venous propulsion.