Plasminogen against diabetic foot
A unique remedy for the treatment of chronic wounds has been created
Roman Ivanov, Computer
A unique medical product capable of initiating and accelerating the healing of diabetic and other chronic wounds (ulcers) has been developed at Umeå University (Sweden). After seven years of experimentation, the drug is ready to begin clinical trials.
The creation of a new drug would not have been possible if scientists had not previously found out that the key regulator that initiates and accelerates wound healing by activating an inflammatory reaction is the protein (enzyme) plasminogen. Details of the scientific work done are published in the journal Blood (Yue Shen et al., Plasminogen is a key pro-inflammatory regulator that accelerates the healing of acute and diabetic wounds).
Plasminogen is a well–known blood plasma protein produced by the liver and present in all body fluids. Scientists from Umea decided to take a closer look at the role of this enzyme in the body and were able to show that the concentration of plasminogen increases significantly in the areas around wounds, which is an important signal for the onset of an inflammatory reaction necessary for healing. However, in the case of diabetic wounds, such an increase in the level of plasminogen is not observed, which, apparently, is the reason for their non-healing. Using the example of laboratory mice and rats, scientists have shown that healing began immediately after the injection of plasminogen into the area around the wounds, which were then completely healed.
Impressed by the observed effect, the researchers threw all their efforts into creating a cell line capable of producing this enzyme in large quantities, which was done. And from here, clinical trials of the drug are just around the corner; however, they will begin only if scientists manage to get the appropriate funding (or rather, to sell the development to some pharmaceutical giant). The authors of the discovery pin their greatest hopes on the obvious fact that plasminogen is one of the endogenous proteins, and this should guarantee the absence of any side effects.
The need for such a healing agent is catastrophically high. Millions of the 350 million diabetics of the planet suffer from non-healing leg wounds; in 10-15 million cases, it ends with amputations of limbs. Today the situation is as follows: there is simply no special healing agent for chronic diabetic wounds (ulcers), everything is limited to standard bandages and compresses.
Diabetic foot, canonical poster.
According to the authors of the work, plasminogen will also help in the treatment of other types of chronic wounds (ulcers), including rupture of the eardrum and periodontitis. Finally, because of its primary role as an activator of the inflammatory reaction, plasminogen is effective in the fight against superbugs resistant to antibiotics.
Prepared by AlphaGalileo: Swedish researchers’ discovery promises unique medicine for treatment of chronic and diabetic wounds.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru29.05.2012