Discovery Promises Unique Medicine for Treatment of Chronic and Diabetic Wounds

ScienceDaily ^ | May 28, 2012 | NA

[neverdem]

A unique new medicine that can start and accelerate healing of diabetic and other chronic wounds is being developed at Umeå University in Sweden. After several years of successful experimental research, it is now ready for clinical testing.

Behind this new medicine is a group of researchers at the Department of Medical Chemistry and Biophysics who have made the unique finding that the protein plasminogen is a key-regulator that initiates and accelerates wound healing by triggering the inflammatory reaction. Their discovery is now being published in the journal Blood.

“Today we have the knowledge needed to develop a medicine,” says Professor Tor Ny, one of the authors of the article. “The bulk of the preclinical research has been completed, and we have had meetings with the Medical Product Agency to discuss a program for clinical testing.”

Plasminogen is a well-known plasma protein that is produced in the liver and found in all bodily fluids. The Umeå researchers have now re-assessed its role and managed to show that the concentration of plasminogen increases dramatically in and around wounds, which is an important signal to start the inflammatory reaction required for healing. In diabetic wounds the level of plasminogen does not increase in the same way, and this seems to be the reason why these wounds do not heal. In diabetic mice and rats the researchers were able to show that the healing process starts immediately when plasminogen is injected around the wound, which then heals fully...

--snip--

The Umeå researchers are initially concentrating on diabetic wounds, but plasminogen also has great potential for working on other types of wounds. This includes tympanic membrane perforations and periodontitis. Being a pro-inflammatory activator, plasminogen has moreover been shown to be effective in combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria (MRSA).

[neverdem]

MRSA? Say what?

[neverdem]

FReepmail me if you want on or off the diabetes or the combined microbiology/immunology ping list.

Press releases at ScienceDaily usually link the abstract through DOI at the end. This one does.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Might be a general anti strep agent, which would work whether or not it was facing MRSA since it would work by some different means than the ‘cillins.

[Viking2002]

Informative, as I'm subject to the same problem. Depending on the extent of the wound, it is both worrisome and uncomfortable.

"We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of Nature has placed in our power..... the battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."

--Patrick Henry, to the Virginia Convention, March 23, 1775

[Ditter]

later read.

[Lazamataz]

Important medical information PING

[Lazamataz]

Quick check. Making sure you saw this. This is important.