PETTER JOHANSSON: Time heals all wounds? Unfortunately not.

Project description

Background 
This project focuses on impaired wound healing, one of the problematic complications in diabetes. While it is known that patients with diabetes often experience vascular and nerve dysfunction, the underlying mechanisms of chronic wounds are still inconclusive. Evidence suggests that the inflammatory process involved in wound healing is disrupted in these patients, contributing to delayed healing. Our research places particular emphasis on the mast cell, an inflammatory cell capable of releasing numerous factors relevant to wound repair. Studies indicate that mast cell activity is increased in diabetes. We hypothesize that mast cells play a significant role in wound healing and may contribute to the development of chronic wounds in diabetic patients. In such case, mast cells could represent a potential target for pharmacological interventions aimed at preventing severe complications, including amputations, and reducing individual suffering and societal costs. 

Aim 
The aim of the DiaMast project is to investigate the role and activity of mast cells in wounds among patients with diabetes and to explore the potential of modulating mast cell function using specific substances. 

Method 
DiaMast combines clinical and preclinical research. The study population includes patients with diabetes and active leg ulcers (n=20), patients with diabetes without ulcers (n=20), and healthy controls (n=20). Blood and tissue samples (punch biopsies) will be collected from all participants, along with clinical data for diabetic patients. Comparisons between the groups will be based on diabetes duration, metabolic markers in blood, and mast cell-specific markers in tissue. 
 
Additionally, a comparative group of burn patients will be included. From this group, blood and tissue samples will be collected, along with an extra blood sample to analyze mast cell progenitors. This enables further tissue comparisons and targeted analysis of precursor cells. 
 
Further tissue analyses will focus on substances with potential to influence mast cell activity, relevant for the long-term goal of identifying therapeutic strategies. 

Relevance 
The prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide, making effective treatment strategies for its complications highly valuable. These wounds impose significant healthcare and societal costs due to frequent and prolonged care needs. Alongside cardiovascular disease, chronic wounds represent one of the most severe complications of diabetes, often leading to reduced quality of life and, in some cases, amputation. 
 
Currently, there is no effective treatment for chronic diabetic wounds. Through the DiaMast project, we aim to uncover mechanisms behind impaired wound healing in diabetes, with the ultimate goal of paving the way for targeted therapies that benefit both individual patients and society at large.