American scientists have discovered why wounds often heal poorly in diabetic patients.
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A study led by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh found that inflammation and worsening of wounds occurs when tiny particles called exosomes, which transmit signals between cells, are defective in diabetic patients, reports EurekAlert.
In chronic wounds of diabetic patients, these defective exosomes fail to deliver vital information to cells that promote wound healing, the paper notes. “This discovery paves the way for new exosome-targeted therapies to promote healing of chronic wounds.
For the study, researchers collected fluid from chronic wounds of 22 patients with diabetes and 15 without diabetes.
The researchers isolated and analyzed exosomes produced by skin cells called keratinocytes. Once these particles are packed with cargo, including RNA, lipids and proteins, they are released from the cell and picked up by macrophages, immune cells that coordinate wound healing.
If the signals contained in exomoses are correct, the macrophage knows how to eliminate inflammation in the wound, the researchers explain. – In diabetes, the crosstalk between keratinocytes and macrophages is disrupted, so macrophages continue to cause inflammation and the wound cannot heal.
They noted that the diabetic exosomes, which the researchers called diaexosomes, had different RNA, lipid and protein contents than those of nondiabetics, suggesting that the process of “cargo packaging” is altered in diabetes.
It turns out that diabetes also impedes the release and absorption of exosomes in wounds:
- The number of diaexosomes in the wound fluid of patients with diabetes was much less than that of nondiabetics, and macrophages ingested much fewer exosomes than diaexosomes:
- when the researchers incubated non-diabetic macrophages with exosomes, the macrophages produced compounds that meant inflammation disappeared, indicating that they received the exosome’s messages and responded correctly to begin wound healing;
- but when the scientists repeated this experiment with diaexosomes, the macrophages produced proinflammatory compounds often found in diabetic patients with chronic wounds.
Diaxosomes lead to deviation from the healing cascade, which compromises the resolution of inflammation, the researchers note. – And this applies not only to wounds. Since exosomes are responsible for many functions in the body, diaexosomes may play a role in the development of other diabetic complications. This research opens a new direction.
Source: EurekAlert
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.