Probiotics or pro-healers: the role of beneficial bacteria in tissue repair

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms, known to exert numerous positive effects on human health, primarily in the battle against pathogens. Probiotics have been associated with improved healing of intestinal ulcers, and healing of infected cutaneous wounds. This article reviews the latest findings on probiotics related to their pro-healing properties on gut epithelium and skin. Proven mechanisms by which probiotic bacteria exert their beneficial effects include direct killing of pathogens, competitive displacement of pathogenic bacteria, reinforcement of epithelial barrier, induction of fibroblasts, and epithelial cells' migration and function. Beneficial immunomodulatory effects of probiotics relate to modulation and activation of intraepithelial lymphocytes, natural killer cells, and macrophages through induced production of cytokines. Systemic effects of beneficial bacteria and link between gut microbiota, immune system, and cutaneous health through gut-brain-skin axes are discussed as well. In light of growing antibiotic resistance of pathogens, antibiotic use is becoming less effective in treating cutaneous and systemic infections. This review points to a new perspective and therapeutic potential of beneficial probiotic species as a safe alternative approach for treatment of patients affected by wound healing disorders and cutaneous infections.This is the peer reviewed version of the paper: Lukic, J., Chen, V., Strahinic, I., Begovic, J., Lev-Tov, H., Davis, S. C., Tomic-Canic, M., & Pastar, I. (2017). Probiotics or pro-healers: The role of beneficial bacteria in tissue repair. Wound Repair and Regeneration, 25(6), 912–922. [https://doi.org/10.1111/wrr.12607

Mechanical and contact characteristics of foam materials within wound dressings: theoretical and practical considerations in treatment

In the treatment of acute and chronic wounds, the clinical performance of a given foam-based dressing, and, ultimately, the wound healing and cost of care outcomes are strongly influenced by the mechanical performance of the foam material/s within that dressing. Most aspects of the mechanical performance of foam materials, for example, their stiffness, frictional properties, conformability, swelling characteristics and durability, and the overall mechanical protection provided by a foam-based dressing to a wound strongly depend on the microstructure of the foam components, particularly on their microtopography, density and porosity. This article, therefore, provides, for the first time, a comprehensive, self-inclusive compilation of clinically relevant theoretical and practical considerations, based on published analytical and experimental research as well as clinical experience related to the mechanical performance of foams in foam-based wound dressings. The current bioengineering information is useful for establishing understanding of the importance of mechanical properties of foams in foam-based dressings among clinicians and researchers in industry and academia, and other potential stakeholders in the wound care field, for example, regulators and buyers. This information is also particularly important for the development of standardised test methods for the evaluation of foam-based wound dressings and resulting standard mechanical performance metrics for these dressings.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Nanocomposite Bienzymatic Sensor for Monitoring Xanthine in Wound Diagnostics

This work reports a biosensor for monitoring xanthine for potential wound healing assessment. Active substrate of the biosensor has xanthine oxidase (XO) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) physisorbed on a nanocomposite of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNP). The presence of HRP provided a two-fold increase in response to xanthine, and a three-fold increase in response to the nanocomposite. With a sensitivity of 155.71 nA μM−1 cm−2 the biosensor offers a detection limit of 1.3 μM, with linear response between 22 μM and 0.4 mM. Clinical sample analyses showed the feasibility of xanthine detection from biofluids in a lesion site due to diffusion of the analyte into surrounding biofluids. Higher concentrations by three-fold were observed from wound proximity, than away from injury, with an average recovery of 110%. Results show the feasibility of monitoring wound severity through longitudinal measurements of xanthine from injured vicinity

Clinical performance characteristics for bordered foam dressings in the treatment of complex wounds: an international wound dressing technology expert panel review

The aim of this article is to identify and describe clinical practice performance characteristics for bordered foam dressings in the treatment of complex wounds. Our recently published systematic review of outcomes and applied measurement instruments for the use of bordered foam dressings in complex wounds has led to us identifying a range of important clinical and patient-centred issues related to this dressing class. Specifically, here, we focus on an overview of performance criteria in the areas of application, adhesion, exudate management and debridement functions of bordered foam dressings. Our hope is that by highlighting the clinical performance criteria, future testing standards for wound dressings will more closely match our clinical expectations and, thereby, assist clinicians to make better wound treatment choices based on meaningful and clinically relevant dressing product performance standards. complex wounds, complex wound care, treatment, bordered foam dressings, dressing performance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

How should clinical wound care and management translate to effective engineering standard testing requirements from foam dressings? Mapping the existing gaps and needs

Significance: Wounds of all types remain one of the most important, expensive, and common medical problems, for example, up to approximately two-thirds of the work time of community nurses is spent on wound management. Many wounds are treated by means of dressings. The materials used in a dressing, their microarchitecture, and how they are composed and constructed form the basis for the laboratory and clinical performances of any advanced dressing. Recent Advances: The established structure/function principle in material science is reviewed and analyzed in this article in the context of wound dressings. This principle states that the microstructure determines the physical, mechanical, and fluid transport and handling properties, all of which are critically important for, and relevant to the, adequate performances of wound dressings. Critical Issues: According to the above principle, once the clinical requirements for wound care and management are defined for a given wound type and etiology, it should be theoretically possible to translate clinically relevant characteristics of dressings into physical test designs resulting specific metrics of materials, mechanical, and fluid transport and handling properties, all of which should be determined to meet the clinical objectives and be measurable through standardized bench testing. Future Directions: This multidisciplinary review article, written by an International Wound Dressing Technology Expert Panel, discusses the translation of clinical wound care and management into effective, basic engineering standard testing requirements from wound dressings with respect to material types, microarchitecture, and properties, to achieve the desirable performance in supporting healing and improving the quality of life of patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Innate immunity and microbial dysbiosis in hidradenitis suppurativa – vicious cycle of chronic inflammation

Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic multifactorial inflammatory skin disease with incompletely understood mechanisms of disease pathology. HS is characterized by aberrant activation of the innate immune system, resulting in activation of pathways that aim to protect against pathogenic microorganisms, and also contribute to failure to resolve inflammation. Imbalance in innate immunity is evident in deregulation of host antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and the complement system associated with the microbiome dysbiosis. The pathology is further complicated by ability of pathogens associated with HS to overcome host immune response. Potential roles of major AMPs, cathelicidin, defensins, dermcidin, S100 proteins, RNAse 7 and complement proteins are discussed. Dysregulated expression pattern of innate immunity components in conjunction with bacterial component of the disease warrants consideration of novel treatment approaches targeting both host immunity and pathogenic microbiome in HS

Acute Wounding Alters the Beta2-Adrenergic Signaling and Catecholamine Synthetic Pathways in Keratinocytes

Keratinocyte migration is critical for wound re-epithelialization. Previous studies showed that epinephrine activates the beta2-adrenergic receptor (B2AR), impairing keratinocyte migration. Here, we investigated the keratinocyte catecholamine synthetic pathway in response to acute trauma. Cultured keratinocytes were scratch wounded and expression levels of the B2AR and catecholamine synthetic enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase and phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase were assayed. The binding affinity of the B2AR was measured. Wounding downregulated B2AR, tyrosine hydroxylase, and phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase expression, but pre-exposure to timolol, a beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, delayed this effect. In wounded keratinocytes, B2AR-binding affinity remained depressed even after its expression returned to prewounding levels. Keratinocyte-derived norepinephrine increased after wounding. Norepinephrine impaired keratinocyte migration; this effect was abrogated with B2AR-selective antagonist ICI-118,551 but not with B1AR-selective antagonist bisoprolol. Finally, for clinical relevance, we determined that norepinephrine was present in freshly wounded skin, thus providing a potential mechanism for impaired healing by local B2AR activation in wound-edge keratinocytes. Taken together, the data show that keratinocytes modulate catecholamine synthetic enzymes and release norepinephrine after scratch wounding. Norepinephrine appears to be a stress-related mediator that impairs keratinocyte migration through activation of the B2AR. Future therapeutic strategies evaluating modulation of norepinephrine-related effects in the wound are warranted

Statins are skin safe, now go innovate

Epidemiological data demonstrate no overall increased risk of skin cancer with statin use.</jats:p

Turning skin "check" into checkmate

Artificial intelligence algorithm performs on par with dermatologists to distinguish malignant from benign skin tumors

Small spice for big wounds: Can curcumin close the gap?

Nanoformulation of curcumin may be the key to unlocking its wound healing potential