A 麻豆原创 谤别蝉别补谤肠丑别谤鈥檚 novel work in nanoscale antioxidants is continuing to show promise in the medical field, with a new study that shows their effectiveness in helping to heal diabetic wounds.
The study, published recently in the journal Acta Biomaterialia, showed that gels containing cerium oxide nanoparticles, whose therapeutic properties were discovered by 麻豆原创, sped up diabetic wound healing time and significantly reduced inflammation in studies in mice when also paired with therapeutic microRNA.
Sudipta Seal, study co-author and professor and chair of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, developed the use of nanoscale cerium oxide for medicinal uses more than a decade ago. The therapeutic properties come from cerium oxide鈥檚 ability to act as an antioxidant that stops dangerous free radicals in the body by donating electrons to them, an ability that only increases at the nanoscale.
The antioxidant developed by Seal has also shown promise in reducing harm caused by radiation, which could be beneficial to people ranging from cancer patients, to beachgoers, to astronauts.
鈥淭hese are unique inorganic nanoparticles that can combat oxidative stress to improve wound healing,鈥� Seal says. 鈥淲e worked with collaborators at Children鈥檚 Hospital Colorado and Colorado School of Mines to develop them for use in therapeutic gels.鈥�
Ken Liechty, a professor of pediatric surgery with the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children鈥檚 Hospital whose research focuses on wound healing, led the mice studies. Melissa Krebs, an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at Colorado School of Mines whose research focuses on biomaterials for drug delivery, was the study鈥檚 lead author.
Krebs鈥� research team developed a way to create frozen versions of hydrogel bandages, known as cryogels, that slowly release the therapeutic cerium nanoparticles and microRNA. This is an improvement over traditional hydrogel bandages used for treating wounds that often release therapeutics too quickly. Seal鈥檚 team made and provided the cerium oxide nanoparticles, including those loaded with microRNA.
鈥淐omplications of diabetes, including impaired wound healing, represent a significant and expensive medical problem,鈥� Krebs says. An ulcer of the lower extremity precedes 84 percent of all diabetic lower extremity amputations and is the primary cause for hospitalization among diabetics.鈥�
The cryogels are one of the latest applications of the therapeutic cerium oxide nanoparticles since their discovery more than a decade ago.
The research was funded by Colorado School of Mines, University of Colorado, Children鈥檚 Hospital of Colorado and the National Science Foundation.
Seal has doctorate in materials engineering with a minor in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin, a master鈥檚 in metallurgy from the University of Sheffield and a bachelor鈥檚 in metallurgy from the Indian Institute of Technology. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He is affiliated with 麻豆原创鈥檚 Advanced Materials Processing Analysis Center and Nanoscience Technology Center and is also a member of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Biionix cluster and holds a joint appointment in 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Medicine. He joined 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science in 1997.
