Downregulation of miR-27b promotes skin wound healing in a rat model of scald burn by promoting fibroblast proliferation

Progress in Wound-Healing Products Based on Natural Compounds, Stem Cells, and MicroRNA-Based Biopolymers in the European, USA, and Asian Markets: Opportunities, Barriers, and Regulatory Issues

Wounds are breaks in the continuity of the skin and underlying tissues, resulting from external causes such as cuts, blows, impacts, or surgical interventions. Countless individuals suffer minor to severe injuries, with unfortunate cases even leading to death. In today's scenario, several commercial products are available to facilitate the healing process of wounds, although chronic wounds still present more challenges than acute wounds. Nevertheless, the huge demand for wound-care products within the healthcare sector has given rise to a rapidly growing market, fostering continuous research and development endeavors for innovative wound-healing solutions. Today, there are many commercially available products including those based on natural biopolymers, stem cells, and microRNAs that promote healing from wounds. This article explores the recent breakthroughs in wound-healing products that harness the potential of natural biopolymers, stem cells, and microRNAs. A comprehensive exploration is undertaken, covering not only commercially available products but also those still in the research phase. Additionally, we provide a thorough examination of the opportunities, obstacles, and regulatory considerations influencing the potential commercialization of wound-healing products across the diverse markets of Europe, America, and Asia.

Phototoxicity in vitro and safety in vivo of the emulsion photosensitizer based on furanocoumarins of Heracleum sosnowskyi

The use of plants such as giant hogweed as raw materials for the manufacture of dosage forms has been little explored. In this study, we utilized furanocoumarins from the Heracleum sosnowskyi plant to create an experimental emulsion dosage form (EmFHS). The EmFHS was finely dispersed (481.8 nm ± 71.1 nm), shelf-stable, and contained predominantly 8-methoxypsoralen at a concentration of 1 mg/ml. Phototoxicity analysis of EmFHS for THP-1 cells under UV (365 nm) irradiation showed an IC50 of 19.1 µg/ml (24 h) and 6.3 µg/ml (48 h). In relation to spheroids (L929), EmFHS exhibited a phototoxic effect in the concentration range of 31.25-125 µg/ml8-MOP. A full phototoxic effect was observed 48 h after UV irradiation. The phototoxic effect of EmFHS in vitro was dose-dependent and comparable to the effect of emulsion synthetic 8-methoxypsoralen and chlorin e6 solution. EmFHS cytotoxicity was caused solely by UV radiation, and toxicity in the dark was minimal. EmFHS, administered at a dose of 3 mg/kg8-MOP, was found to be safe after a single intravenous administration to rats. It had a photosensitizing effect in the form of local photodermatitis when exposed to UV irradiation at a dose of 44 J/cm2. The biokinetics of emulsion furanocoumarins showed that the phototoxic effect of EmFHS is due to the high penetration ability of the emulsion into cells of spheroids. At the same time, it has a low degree of cumulation when administered intravenously. The obtained data suggest that EmFHS may be a promising treatment for PUVA therapy of various dermatological diseases. Additionally, the plant Heracleum sosnowskyi shows potential as a basis for creating new dosage forms with phototherapeutic effects.

PLA-HPG based coating enhanced anti-biofilm and wound healing of Shikonin in MRSA-infected burn wound

Burn wounds are susceptible to bacterial infections, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which typically form biofilms and exhibit drug resistance. They also have specific feature of abundant exudate, necessitating frequent drug administration. Shikonin (SKN) has been reported to reverse MRSA drug resistance and possesses anti-biofilm and wound healing properties, however, it suffers from drawbacks of low solubility and instability. In this study, we developed PLA-HPG based bioadhesive nanoparticles SKN/BNP, which demonstrated a drug loading capacity of about 3.6%, and exhibited sustained-release behavior of SKN. The aldehyde groups present on the surface of BNP improved the local adhesion of SKN/BNP both in vitro and in vivo, thereby reducing the frequency of drug dosing in exudate-rich burn wounds. BNP alone enhanced proliferation and migration of the fibroblast, while SKN/BNP promoted fibroblast proliferation and migration as well as angiogenesis. Due to its bioadhesive property, BNP directly interacted with biofilm and enhanced the efficacy of SKN against MRSA biofilm in vitro. In a mouse model of MRSA-infected burn wounds, SKN/BNP demonstrated improved anti-biofilm and wound healing efficiency. Overall, our findings suggest that SKN/BNP holds great promise as a novel and effective treatment option for clinical applications in MRSA-infected burn wounds.

Progeria and Aging-Omics Based Comparative Analysis

Since ancient times aging has also been regarded as a disease, and humankind has always strived to extend the natural lifespan. Analyzing the genes involved in aging and disease allows for finding important indicators and biological markers for pathologies and possible therapeutic targets. An example of the use of omics technologies is the research regarding aging and the rare and fatal premature aging syndrome progeria (Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, HGPS). In our study, we focused on the in silico analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in progeria and aging, using a publicly available RNA-Seq dataset (GEO dataset GSE113957) and a variety of bioinformatics tools. Despite the GSE113957 RNA-Seq dataset being well-known and frequently analyzed, the RNA-Seq data shared by Fleischer et al. is far from exhausted and reusing and repurposing the data still reveals new insights. By analyzing the literature citing the use of the dataset and subsequently conducting a comparative analysis comparing the RNA-Seq data analyses of different subsets of the dataset (healthy children, nonagenarians and progeria patients), we identified several genes involved in both natural aging and progeria (KRT8, KRT18, ACKR4, CCL2, UCP2, ADAMTS15, ACTN4P1, WNT16, IGFBP2). Further analyzing these genes and the pathways involved indicated their possible roles in aging, suggesting the need for further in vitro and in vivo research. In this paper, we (1) compare "normal aging" (nonagenarians vs. healthy children) and progeria (HGPS patients vs. healthy children), (2) enlist genes possibly involved in both the natural aging process and progeria, including the first mention of IGFBP2 in progeria, (3) predict miRNAs and interactomes for WNT16 (hsa-mir-181a-5p), UCP2 (hsa-mir-26a-5p and hsa-mir-124-3p), and IGFBP2 (hsa-mir-124-3p, hsa-mir-126-3p, and hsa-mir-27b-3p), (4) demonstrate the compatibility of well-established R packages for RNA-Seq analysis for researchers interested but not yet familiar with this kind of analysis, and (5) present comparative proteomics analyses to show an association between our RNA-Seq data analyses and corresponding changes in protein expression.

Curdlan-Based Hydrogels for Potential Application as Dressings for Promotion of Skin Wound Healing-Preliminary In Vitro Studies

The aim of this work was to establish whether novel curdlan-based hydrogels enriched with Ca²⁺ ions may be considered as potential candidates for dressings, for the acceleration of skin wound healing. Firstly, biomaterials were allocated for evaluation of structural and mechanical properties. Subsequently, the ability of hydrogels to absorb simulated wound fluid and water vapor permeability, as well their capacity to release calcium ions, was evaluated. The biocompatibility of biomaterials was assessed using normal human skin fibroblasts. Importantly, the main features of the obtained curdlan-based hydrogels were compared with those of KALTOSTAT^® (a commercial calcium sodium alginate wound dressing). The obtained results showed that curdlan-based biomaterials possessed a mesoporous structure (pore diameter ranged from 14–48 nm) and exhibited a good ability to absorb simulated wound fluid (swelling ratio close to 974–1229%). Moreover, in a wet state, they enabled proper water vapor transmission rate (>2000 g/m²/day), thanks to their hydrogel structure. Finally, it was found that biomaterial composed of 11 wt.% of curdlan (Cur_11%) possessed the most desirable biological properties in vitro. It released a beneficial amount of calcium ions to the aqueous environment (approximately 6.12 mM), which significantly enhanced fibroblast viability and proliferation. Taking into account the beneficial properties of Cur_11% biomaterial, it seems justified to subject it to more advanced cell culture experiments in vitro and to in vivo studies in order to determine its precise influence on skin wound healing.