Conspectus
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are chronic wounds
that develop in
30% of diabetic patients. In DFUs, the normal wound healing process
consisting of inflammation, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix
(ECM) remodeling is dysregulated and stalled. Upon injury, neutrophils
and monocytes arrive at the wound and secrete matrix metalloproteinase
(MMP)-8 and reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS activates nuclear factor
kappa beta (NF-κB), which upregulates MMP-9. Monocytes become
macrophages, secreting tumor growth factor (TGF)-β1 and vascular
endothelial growth factor (VEGF) for angiogenesis, resulting in remodeling
of the ECM. MMP-9 cleaves laminin for keratinocyte migration. MMP-8
is beneficial for remodeling the ECM and healing the wound. In DFUs,
the excess unregulated MMP-9 is detrimental, destroying the ECM and
preventing the wound from healing. DFUs are typically infected, many
with biofilm-producing bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
Infection increases the time for wound healing and the likelihood
for a lower-limb amputation. Despite the use of antibiotics, amputations
occur in 24.5% of patients with DFUs. Clearly, new strategies for
treatment of DFUs are needed. With the use of an affinity resin that
binds exclusively to the active forms of MMPs and proteomics, we identified
two proteinases, MMP-8 and MMP-9, in wounds of diabetic mice and diabetic
humans. With the use of selective inhibitors, gene ablation of MMP-9,
and exogenous application of MMP-8, we demonstrated that MMP-8 is
beneficial to wound repair and that MMP-9 prevents the diabetic wound
from healing. Our research has shown that infection increases active
MMP-9, increasing inflammation and decreasing angiogenesis. As a result,
infected diabetic wounds take a longer time to heal than uninfected
ones. We found that active MMP-9 and NF-κB increased in human
DFUs with wound severity and infection. The best strategy for treatment
of DFUs is to selectively inhibit the detrimental proteinase MMP-9
without affecting the beneficial MMP-8 so that the body can repair
the wound. Lead optimization of the thiirane class of inhibitors led
to the discovery of (R)-ND-336, a potent (19 nM)
and selective (450-fold) MMP-9 inhibitor. (R)-ND-336
accelerated wound healing in diabetic mice by decreasing ROS and NF-κB,
lowering inflammation, and increasing angiogenesis. (R)-ND-336 in combination with the antibiotic linezolid improved wound
healing in infected diabetic mice by inhibiting MMP-9, which mitigated
macrophage infiltration and increased angiogenesis, thereby restoring
the normal wound healing process.