Improved Wound Closure Rates and Mechanical Properties Resembling Native Skin in Murine Diabetic Wounds Treated with a Tropoelastin and Collagen Wound Healing Device

Abstract

Chronic wounds in patients suffering from type II diabetes mellitus (DMII) where wounds remain open with a complicated pathophysiology, healing, and recovery process is a public health concern. Normal wound healing plays a critical role in wound closure, restoration of mechanical properties, and the biochemical characteristics of the remodeled tissue. Biological scaffolds provide a tissue substitute to help facilitate wound healing by mimicking the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the dermis. In the current study an electrospun biomimetic scaffold, wound healing device (WHD), containing tropoelastin (TE) and collagen was synthesized to mimic the biochemical and mechanical characteristics of healthy human skin. The WHD was compared to a commercially available porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) matrix that has been used in both partial and full-thickness wounds, Oasis® Wound Matrix. Wound closure rates, histochemistry, qPCR, and mechanical testing of treated wound sites were evaluated. The WHD in a splinted, full-thickness, diabetic murine wound healing model demonstrated an enhanced rate of wound closure, decreased tissue inflammation, skin organ regeneration, and a stronger and more durable remodeled tissue that more closely mimics native unwounded skin compared to the control device.