Pulmonary Vascular Endothelialitis, Thrombosis, and Angiogenesis in Covid-19.

BACKGROUND: Progressive respiratory failure is the primary cause of death in the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Despite widespread interest in the pathophysiology of the disease, relatively little is known about the associated morphologic and molecular changes in the peripheral lung of patients who die from Covid-19. METHODS: We examined 7 lungs obtained during autopsy from patients who died from Covid-19 and compared them with 7 lungs obtained during autopsy from patients who died from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to influenza A(H1N1) infection and 10 age-matched, uninfected control lungs. The lungs were studied with the use of seven-color immunohistochemical analysis, micro-computed tomographic imaging, scanning electron microscopy, corrosion casting, and direct multiplexed measurement of gene expression. RESULTS: In patients who died from Covid-19-associated or influenza-associated respiratory failure, the histologic pattern in the peripheral lung was diffuse alveolar damage with perivascular T-cell infiltration. The lungs from patients with Covid-19 also showed distinctive vascular features, consisting of severe endothelial injury associated with the presence of intracellular virus and disrupted cell membranes. Histologic analysis of pulmonary vessels in patients with Covid-19 showed widespread thrombosis with microangiopathy. Alveolar capillary microthrombi were 9 times as prevalent in patients with Covid-19 as in patients with influenza (P<0.001). In lungs from patients with Covid-19, the amount of new vessel growth - predominantly through a mechanism of intussusceptive angiogenesis - was 2.7 times as high as that in the lungs from patients with influenza (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In our small series, vascular angiogenesis distinguished the pulmonary pathobiology of Covid-19 from that of equally severe influenza virus infection. The universality and clinical implications of our observations require further research to define. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and others.).

A multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating the effects of a novel autologous heterogeneous skin construct in the treatment of Wagner one diabetic foot ulcers: Final analysis.

A novel autologous heterogeneous skin construct (AHSC) was previously shown to be effective versus standard of care (SOC) treatment in facilitating complete wound healing of Wagner 1 diabetic foot ulcers in an interim analysis of 50 patients previously published. We now report the final analysis of 100 patients (50 per group), which further supports the interim analysis findings. Forty-five subjects in the AHSC treatment group received only one application of the autologous heterogeneous skin construct, and five received two applications. For the primary endpoint at 12 weeks, there were significantly more diabetic wounds closed in the AHSC treatment group (35/50, 70%) than in the SOC control group (17/50, 34%) (p = 0.00032). A significant difference in percentage area reduction between groups was also demonstrated over 8 weeks (p = 0.009). Forty-nine subjects experienced 148 adverse events: 66 occurred in 21 subjects (42%) in the AHSC treatment group versus 82 in 28 SOC control group subjects (56.0%). Eight subjects were withdrawn due to serious adverse events. Autologous heterogeneous skin construct was shown to be an effective adjunctive therapy for healing Wagner 1 diabetic foot ulcers.

A multicentre, randomised controlled clinical trial evaluating the effects of a novel autologous, heterogeneous skin construct in the treatment of Wagner one diabetic foot ulcers: Interim analysis.

We desired to carefully evaluate a novel autologous heterogeneous skin construct in a prospective randomised clinical trial comparing this to a standard-of-care treatment in diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). This study reports the interim analysis after the first half of the subjects have been analysed. Fifty patients (25 per group) with Wagner 1 ulcers were enrolled at 13 wound centres in the United States. Twenty-three subjects underwent the autologous heterogeneous skin construct harvest and application procedure once; two subjects required two applications due to loss of the first application. The primary endpoint was the proportion of wounds closed at 12 weeks. There were significantly more wounds closed in the treatment group (18/25; 72%) vs controls (8/25; 32%) at 12 weeks. The treatment group achieved significantly greater percent area reduction compared to the control group at every prespecified timepoint of 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks. Thirty-eight adverse events occurred in 11 subjects (44%) in the treatment group vs 48 in 14 controls (56%), 6 of which required study removal. In the treatment group, there were no serious adverse events related to the index ulcer. Two adverse events (index ulcer cellulitis and bleeding) were possibly related to the autologous heterogeneous skin construct. Data from this planned interim analysis support that application of autologous heterogeneous skin construct may be potentially effective therapy for DFUs and provide supportive data to complete the planned study.

Improved healing of chronic diabetic foot wounds in a prospective randomised controlled multi-centre clinical trial with a microvascular tissue allograft.

This study assesses the impact of a processed microvascular tissue (PMVT) allograft on wound closure and healing in a prospective, single-blinded, multi-centre, randomised controlled clinical trial of 100 subjects with Wagner Grade 1 and 2 chronic neuropathic diabetic foot ulcerations. In addition to standard wound care, including standardised offloading, the treatment arm received PMVT while the control arm received a collagen alginate dressing. The primary endpoint was complete wound closure at 12 weeks. Secondary endpoints assessed on all subjects were percent wound area reduction, time to healing, and local neuropathy. Novel exploratory sub-studies were conducted for wound area perfusion and changes in regional neuropathy. Weekly application of PMVT resulted in increased complete wound closure at 12 weeks (74% vs 38%; P = .0003), greater percent wound area reduction from weeks four through 12 (76% vs 24%; P = .009), decreased time to healing (54 days vs 64 days; P = .009), and improved local neuropathy (118% vs 11%; P = .028) compared with the control arm. Enhanced perfusion and improved regional neuropathy were demonstrated in the sub-studies. In conclusion, this study demonstrated increased complete healing with PMVT and supports its use in treating non-healing DFUs. The observed benefit of PMVT on the exploratory regional neuropathy and perfusion endpoints warrants further study.

Complete wound closure following a single topical application of a novel autologous homologous skin construct: first evaluation in an open-label, single-arm feasibility study in diabetic foot ulcers.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a growing burden on patients and health care systems that often require multiple treatments of both conventional and advanced modalities to achieve complete wound closure. A novel autologous homologous skin construct (AHSC) has been developed to treat cutaneous defects with a single topical application, by leveraging the endogenous repair capabilities of the patient's healthy skin. The AHSC's ability to close DFUs with a single treatment was evaluated in an open-label, single-arm feasibility study. Eleven patients with DFUs extending up to tendon, bone, or capsule received a single topical application of AHSC. Closure was documented weekly with high-resolution digital photography and wound planimetry. All 11 DFUs demonstrated successful graft take. Ten DFUs closed within 8 weeks. The median time-to-complete closure was 25 days. The mean percent area reduction for all 11 wounds at 4 weeks was 83%. There were no adverse events related to the AHSC treatment site. This pilot study demonstrated AHSC may be a viable single application topical intervention for DFUs and warrants investigation in larger, controlled studies.

Defining complete wound closure: Closing the gap in clinical trials and practice.

We investigate how wound closure is determined in recent randomized controlled wound trials and real-world studies, identify solutions to the current limitations of wound assessment, and propose a standard methodology to define and assess wound healing in research. We searched PubMed for randomized clinical trials using the terms "complete wound closure" and "wound healing rate" and for real-world studies using the terms "real-world wound healing," "real-world wound data," and "wound registries" dating from March 2010 through March 2018. We selected studies that had "complete wound closure" or "healed wound" as an endpoint. Sixty-five trial articles and 10 real-world articles met our criteria, from which we extracted the wound type studied, definition of healed wound used, wound assessment method, the number of weeks assessed, the number of wounds, and the percent of healed wounds in the study group(s) and control group. There were 7,194 trial wounds included. The most common definition of healing used by 26 studies (40.6%) was complete/full/100% (re)epithelialization or closure without discharge, drainage/scab, and/or dressing. Fifty-two studies (81.2%) used blinded wound assessment, and at least 10 studies (15.6%) used blinded adjudication. The real-world studies analyzed more than 901,396 wounds. Only three studies (33.3%) defined a healed/closed wound, two of which used "complete epithelialization." Eight studies (88.9%) did not define the wound assessment method; none indicated a blinded assessment. We support the Food and Drug Administration definition: 100% reepithelialization of the wound surface with no discernable exudate and without drainage or dressing, confirmed at two visits 2 weeks apart, and we recommend blinded adjudication for wound assessment. The widespread adoption of a standard wound healing definition and assessment method in wound care research would allow for stronger comparisons of treatment effects across studies to improve the evidence base and strengthen the treatment decision-making process in clinical practice.

In vivo expansion and regeneration of full-thickness functional skin with an autologous homologous skin construct: Clinical proof of concept for chronic wound healing.

A new cell-tissue technology uses a patient's skin to create an in vivo expanding and self-organising full-thickness skin autograft derived from potent cutaneous appendages. This autologous homologous skin construct (AHSC) is manufactured from a small full-thickness skin harvest obtained from an uninjured area of the patient. All the harvested tissue is incorporated into the AHSC including the endogenous regenerative cellular populations responsible for skin maintenance and repair, which are activated during the manufacturing process. Without any exogenous supplementation or culturing, the AHSC is swiftly returned to the patient's wound bed, where it expands and closes the defect from the inside out with full-thickness fully functional skin. AHSC was applied to a greater than two-year old large (200 cm2 ) chronic wound refractory to multiple failed split-thickness skin grafts. Complete epithelial coverage was achieved in 8 weeks, and complete wound coverage with full-thickness functional skin occurred in 12 weeks. At 6-month follow-up, the wound remained covered with full-thickness skin, grossly equivalent to surrounding native skin qualitatively and quantitatively equivalent across multiple functions and characteristics, including sensation, hair follicle morphology, bio-impedance and composition, pigment regeneration, and gland production.

An aseptically processed, acellular, reticular, allogenic human dermis improves healing in diabetic foot ulcers: A prospective, randomised, controlled, multicentre follow-up trial.

Aseptically processed human reticular acellular dermal matrix (HR-ADM) has been previously shown to improve wound closure in 40 diabetic patients with non-healing foot ulcers. The study was extended to 40 additional patients (80 in total) to validate and extend the original findings. The entire cohort of 80 patients underwent appropriate offloading and standard of care (SOC) during a 2-week screening period and, after meeting eligibility criteria, were randomised to receive weekly applications of HR-ADM plus SOC or SOC alone for up to 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the proportion of wounds closed at 6 weeks. Sixty-eight percent (27/40) in the HR-ADM group were completely healed at 6 weeks compared with 15% (6/40) in the SOC group. The proportions of wounds healed at 12 weeks were 80% (34/40) and 30% (12/40), respectively. The mean time to heal within 12 weeks was 38 days for the HR-ADM group and 72 days for the SOC group. There was no incidence of increased adverse or serious adverse events between groups or any graft-related adverse events. The mean and median HR-ADM product costs at 12 weeks were $1200 and $680, respectively. HR-ADM is clinically superior to SOC, is cost effective relative to other comparable treatment modalities, and is an efficacious treatment for chronic non-healing diabetic foot ulcers.

Identification and content validation of wound therapy clinical endpoints relevant to clinical practice and patient values for FDA approval. Part 1. Survey of the wound care community.

Wounds that exhibit delayed healing add extraordinary clinical, economic, and personal burdens to patients, as well as to increasing financial costs to health systems. New interventions designed to ease such burdens for patients with cancer, renal, or ophthalmologic conditions are often cleared for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) using multiple endpoints but the requirement of complete healing as a primary endpoint for wound products impedes FDA clearance of interventions that can provide other clinical or patient-centered benefits for persons with wounds. A multidisciplinary group of wound experts undertook an initiative, in collaboration with the FDA, to identify and content validate supporting FDA criteria for qualifying wound endpoints relevant to clinical practice (CP) and patient-centered outcomes (PCO) as primary outcomes in clinical trials. As part of the initiative, a research study was conducted involving 628 multidisciplinary expert wound clinicians and researchers from 4 different groups: the interdisciplinary core advisory team; attendees of the Spring 2015 Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC); clinicians employed by a national network of specialty clinics focused on comprehensive wound care; and Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) and Wound Healing Society (WHS) members who had not previously completed the survey. The online survey assessed 28 literature-based wound care endpoints for their relevance and importance to clinical practice and clinical research. Fifteen of the endpoints were evaluated for their relevance to improving quality of life. Twenty-two endpoints had content validity indexes (CVI) ≥ 0.75, and 15 were selected as meriting potential inclusion as additional endpoints for FDA approval of future wound care interventions. This study represents an important first step in identifying and validating new measurable wound care endpoints for clinical research and practice and for regulatory evaluation.

Vascular assessment of wound healing: a clinical review.

Although macrovascular screening of patients with chronic wounds, particularly in the lower extremities, is accepted as part of clinical practice guidelines, microvascular investigation is less commonly used for a variety of reasons. This can be an issue because most patients with macrovascular disease also develop concomitant microvascular dysfunction. Part of the reason for less comprehensive microvascular screening has been the lack of suitable imaging techniques that can quantify microvascular dysfunction in connection with non-healing chronic wounds. This is changing with the introduction of fluorescence microangiography. The objective of this review is to examine macro- and microvascular disease, the strengths and limitations of the approaches used and to highlight the importance of microvascular angiography in the context of wound healing.

A prospective, randomised, controlled, multicentre clinical trial examining healing rates, safety and cost to closure of an acellular reticular allogenic human dermis versus standard of care in the treatment of chronic diabetic foot ulcers.

Acellular dermal matrices can successfully heal wounds. This study's goal was to compare clinical outcomes of a novel, open-structure human reticular acellular dermis matrix (HR-ADM) to facilitate wound closure in non-healing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) versus DFUs treated with standard of care (SOC). Following a 2-week screening period in which DFUs were treated with offloading and moist wound care, patients were randomised to either SOC alone or HR-ADM plus SOC applied weekly for up to 12 weeks. At 6 weeks, the primary outcome time, 65% of the HR-ADM-treated DFUs healed (13/20) compared with 5% (1/20) of DFUs that received SOC alone. At 12 weeks, the proportions of DFUs healed were 80% and 20%, respectively. Mean time to heal within 12 weeks was 40 days for the HR-ADM group compared with 77 days for the SOC group. There was no incidence of increased adverse or serious adverse events between groups or any adverse events related to the graft. Mean and median graft costs to closure per healed wound in the HR-ADM group were $1475 and $963, respectively. Weekly application of HR-ADM is an effective intervention for promoting closure of non-healing DFUs.

Treatment of chronic diabetic lower extremity ulcers with advanced therapies: a prospective, randomised, controlled, multi-centre comparative study examining clinical efficacy and cost.

Advanced therapies such as bioengineered skin substitutes (BSS) and dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane (dHACM) have been shown to promote healing of chronic diabetic ulcers. An interim analysis of data from 60 patients enrolled in a prospective, randomised, controlled, parallel group, multi-centre clinical trial showed that dHACM (EpiFix, MiMedx Group Inc., Marietta, GA) is superior to standard wound care (SWC) and BSS (Apligraf, Organogenesis, Inc., Canton, MA) in achieving complete wound closure within 4-6 weeks. Rates and time to closure at a longer time interval and factors influencing outcomes remained unassessed; therefore, the study was continued in order to achieve at least 100 patients. With the larger cohort, we compare clinical outcomes at 12 weeks in 100 patients with chronic lower extremity diabetic ulcers treated with weekly applications of Apligraf (n = 33), EpiFix (n = 32) or SWC (n = 35) with collagen-alginate dressing as controls. A Cox regression was performed to analyse the time to heal within 12 weeks, adjusting for all significant covariates. A Kaplan-Meier analysis was conducted to compare time-to-heal within 12 weeks for the three treatment groups. Clinical characteristics were well matched across study groups. The proportion of wounds achieving complete closure within the 12-week study period were 73% (24/33), 97% (31/32), and 51% (18/35) for Apligraf, EpiFix and SWC, respectively (adjusted P = 0·00019). Subjects treated with EpiFix had a very significant higher probability of their wounds healing [hazard ratio (HR: 5·66; adjusted P: 1·3 x 10(-7) ] compared to SWC alone. No difference in probability of healing was observed for the Apligraf and SWC groups. Patients treated with Apligraf were less likely to heal than those treated with EpiFix [HR: 0·30; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0·17-0·54; unadjusted P: 5·8 x 10(-5) ]. Increased wound size and presence of hypertension were significant factors that influenced healing. Mean time-to-heal within 12 weeks was 47·9 days (95% CI: 38·2-57·7) with Apligraf, 23·6 days (95% CI: 17·0-30·2) with EpiFix group and 57·4 days (95%CI: 48·2-66·6) with the SWC alone group (adjusted P = 3·2 x 10(-7) ). Median number of grafts used per healed wound were six (range 1-13) and 2·5 (range 1-12) for the Apligraf and EpiFix groups, respectively. Median graft cost was $8918 (range $1,486-19,323) per healed wound for the Apligraf group and $1,517 (range $434-25,710) per healed wound in the EpiFix group (P < 0·0001). These results provide further evidence of the clinical and resource utilisation superiority of EpiFix compared to Apligraf for the treatment of lower extremity diabetic wounds.

Cell recruitment by amnion chorion grafts promotes neovascularization.

BACKGROUND: Nonhealing wounds are a significant health burden. Stem and progenitor cells can accelerate wound repair and regeneration. Human amniotic membrane has demonstrated efficacy in promoting wound healing, though the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. A dehydrated human amnion chorion membrane (dHACM) was tested for its ability to recruit hematopoietic progenitor cells to a surgically implanted graft in a murine model of cutaneous ischemia. METHODS: dHACM was subcutaneously implanted under elevated skin (ischemic stimulus) in either wild-type mice or mice surgically parabiosed to green fluorescent protein (GFP) + reporter mice. A control acellular dermal matrix, elevated skin without an implant, and normal unwounded skin were used as controls. Wound tissue was harvested and processed for histology and flow cytometric analysis. RESULTS: Implanted dHACMs recruited significantly more progenitor cells compared with controls (*P < 0.05) and displayed in vivo SDF-1 expression with incorporation of CD34 + progenitor cells within the matrix. Parabiosis modeling confirmed the circulatory origin of recruited cells, which coexpressed progenitor cell markers and were localized to foci of neovascularization within implanted matrices. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, dHACM effectively recruits circulating progenitor cells, likely because of stromal derived factor 1 (SDF-1) expression. The recruited cells express markers of "stemness" and localize to sites of neovascularization, providing a partial mechanism for the clinical efficacy of human amniotic membrane in the treatment of chronic wounds.

A prospective, randomised, controlled, multi-centre comparative effectiveness study of healing using dehydrated human amnion/chorion membrane allograft, bioengineered skin substitute or standard of care for treatment of chronic lower extremity diabetic ulcers.

A prospective, randomised, controlled, parallel group, multi-centre clinical trial was conducted at three sites to compare the healing effectiveness of treatment of chronic lower extremity diabetic ulcers with either weekly applications of Apligraf(®) (Organogenesis, Inc., Canton, MA), EpiFix(®) (MiMedx Group, Inc., Marietta, GA), or standard wound care with collagen-alginate dressing. The primary study outcome was the percent change in complete wound healing after 4 and 6 weeks of treatment. Secondary outcomes included percent change in wound area per week, velocity of wound closure and a calculation of the amount and cost of Apligraf or EpiFix used. A total of 65 subjects entered the 2-week run-in period and 60 were randomised (20 per group). The proportion of patients in the EpiFix group achieving complete wound closure within 4 and 6 weeks was 85% and 95%, significantly higher (all adjusted P-values ≤ 0·003) than for patients receiving Apligraf (35% and 45%), or standard care (30% and 35%). After 1 week, wounds treated with EpiFix had reduced in area by 83·5% compared with 53·1% for wounds treated with Apligraf. Median time to healing was significantly faster (all adjusted P-values ≤0·001) with EpiFix (13 days) compared to Apligraf (49 days) or standard care (49 days). The mean number of grafts used and the graft cost per patient were lower in the EpiFix group campared to the Apligraf group, at 2·15 grafts at a cost of $1669 versus 6·2 grafts at a cost of $9216, respectively. The results of this study demonstrate the clinical and resource utilisation superiority of EpiFix compared to Apligraf or standard of care, for the treatment of diabetic ulcers of the lower extremities.

Avenanthramide and ß-Glucan Therapeutics Accelerate Wound Healing Via Distinct and Nonoverlapping Mechanisms.

Objective: Given the significant economic, health care, and personal burden of acute and chronic wounds, we investigated the dose dependent wound healing mechanisms of two Avena sativa derived compounds: avenanthramide (AVN) and ß-Glucan. Approach: We utilized a splinted excisional wound model that mimics human-like wound healing and performed subcutaneous AVN and ß-Glucan injections in 15-week-old C57BL/6 mice. Histologic and immunohistochemical analysis was performed on the explanted scar tissue to assess changes in collagen architecture and cellular responses. Results: AVN and ß-Glucan treatment provided therapeutic benefits at a 1% dose by weight in a phosphate-buffered saline vehicle, including accelerated healing time, beneficial cellular recruitment, and improved tissue architecture of healed scars. One percent AVN treatment promoted an extracellular matrix (ECM) architecture similar to unwounded skin, with shorter, more randomly aligned collagen fibers and reduced inflammatory cell presence in the healed tissue. One percent ß-Glucan treatment promoted a tissue architecture characterized by long, thick bundles of collagen with increased blood vessel density. Innovation: AVN and ß-Glucan have previously shown promise in promoting wound healing, although the therapeutic efficacies and mechanisms of these bioactive compounds remain incompletely understood. Furthermore, the healed ECM architecture of these wounds has not been characterized. Conclusions: AVN and ß-Glucan accelerated wound closure compared to controls through distinct mechanisms. AVN-treated scars displayed a more regenerative tissue architecture with reduced inflammatory cell recruitment, while ß-Glucan demonstrated increased angiogenesis with more highly aligned tissue architecture more indicative of fibrosis. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms driving healing in these two naturally derived therapeutics will be important for translation to human use.

Biological properties of dehydrated human amnion/chorion composite graft: implications for chronic wound healing.

Human amnion/chorion tissue derived from the placenta is rich in cytokines and growth factors known to promote wound healing; however, preservation of the biological activities of therapeutic allografts during processing remains a challenge. In this study, PURION® (MiMedx, Marietta, GA) processed dehydrated human amnion/chorion tissue allografts (dHACM, EpiFix®, MiMedx) were evaluated for the presence of growth factors, interleukins (ILs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were performed on samples of dHACM and showed quantifiable levels of the following growth factors: platelet-derived growth factor-AA (PDGF-AA), PDGF-BB, transforming growth factor α (TGFα), TGFß1, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), placental growth factor (PLGF) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF). The ELISA assays also confirmed the presence of IL-4, 6, 8 and 10, and TIMP 1, 2 and 4. Moreover, the relative elution of growth factors into saline from the allograft ranged from 4% to 62%, indicating that there are bound and unbound fractions of these compounds within the allograft. dHACM retained biological activities that cause human dermal fibroblast proliferation and migration of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vitro. An in vivo mouse model showed that dHACM when tested in a skin flap model caused mesenchymal progenitor cell recruitment to the site of implantation. The results from both the in vitro and in vivo experiments clearly established that dHACM contains one or more soluble factors capable of stimulating MSC migration and recruitment. In summary, PURION® processed dHACM retains its biological activities related to wound healing, including the potential to positively affect four distinct and pivotal physiological processes intimately involved in wound healing: cell proliferation, inflammation, metalloproteinase activity and recruitment of progenitor cells. This suggests a paracrine mechanism of action for dHACM when used for wound healing applications.

Evaluation in a porcine wound model and long-term clinical assessment of an autologous heterogeneous skin construct used to close full-thickness wounds.

Acute and chronic wounds involving deeper layers of the skin are often not adequately healed by dressings alone and require therapies such as skin grafting, skin substitutes, or growth factors. Here we report the development of an autologous heterogeneous skin construct (AHSC) that aids wound closure. AHSC is manufactured from a piece of healthy full-thickness skin. The manufacturing process creates multicellular segments, which contain endogenous skin cell populations present within hair follicles. These segments are physically optimized for engraftment within the wound bed. The ability of AHSC to facilitate closure of full thickness wounds of the skin was evaluated in a swine model and clinically in 4 patients with wounds of different etiologies. Transcriptional analysis demonstrated high concordance of gene expression between AHSC and native tissues for extracellular matrix and stem cell gene expression panels. Swine wounds demonstrated complete wound epithelialization and mature stable skin by 4 months, with hair follicle development in AHSC-treated wounds evident by 15 weeks. Biomechanical, histomorphological, and compositional analysis of the resultant swine and human skin wound biopsies demonstrated the presence of epidermal and dermal architecture with follicular and glandular structures that are similar to native skin. These data suggest that treatment with AHSC can facilitate wound closure.

A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled, Clinical Trial Evaluating Dehydrated Human Amniotic Membrane in the Treatment of Venous Leg Ulcers.

BACKGROUND: This randomized controlled trial evaluated the safety and effectiveness of weekly and biweekly applications of dehydrated human amnion and chorion allograft (dHACA) plus standard of care compared to standard of care alone on chronic venous leg ulcers. METHODS: This open-label randomized controlled trial included patients with chronic venous leg ulcers at eight wound care centers across the United States. The primary endpoint was the proportion of healed ulcers at 12 weeks. Secondary endpoints included the proportion of ulcers achieving 40 percent closure at 4 weeks and the incidence of adverse events. RESULTS: Among 101 patients screened for eligibility, 60 were eligible and enrolled. At 12 weeks, significantly more venous leg ulcers healed in the two dHACA-treated groups (75 percent) than in the standard-of-care group (30 percent) ( p = 0.001) even after adjustment for wound area ( p = 0.002), with an odds ratio of 8.7 (95 percent CI, 2.2 to 33.6). There were no significant differences in the proportion of wounds with percentage area reduction greater than or equal to 40 percent at 4 weeks among all groups. The adverse event rate was 63.5 percent. Among the 38 adverse events, none were graft or procedure related, and all were resolved with appropriate treatment. CONCLUSIONS: dHACA and standard of care, either applied weekly or biweekly, significantly healed more venous leg ulcers than standard of care alone, suggesting that the use of aseptically processed dHACA is advantageous and a safe and effective treatment option in the healing of chronic venous leg ulcers. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, I.

Priming with a combination of proangiogenic growth factors enhances wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in mice.

BACKGROUND: Numerous proangiogenic growth factors have been shown to improve impaired wound healing. This study evaluated the effects of subcutaneous pretreatment with a combination of proangiogenic growth factors on wound closure, mechanical properties, vessel density, and morphology. METHODS: Thirty-six Balb/c mice with streptozotocin-induced diabetes were divided into 3 groups. A mixture of VEGF (35.0 µg), bFGF (2.5 µg), and PDGF (3.5 µg) was administered subcutaneously 3, 5, and 7 days prior to wounding in the first group, whereas the second group received three doses of 3.5 µg PDGF. Wound sizes were assessed daily and the repaired tissues were harvested 7 days after wound closure. RESULTS: Complete closure (≥95% healing of initial wound area) was reached in all proangiogenic pretreated animals by day 17, whereas the PDGF monotherapy group needed up to 20 days for complete closure. By the time of tissue harvesting on day 24, complete closure was not reached in all control animals. Punch biopsy material revealed 1.6-fold higher vessel densities in the proangiogenic combination-pretreated group than in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Proangiogenic priming revealed several significant effects on diabetic wound healing: faster time to closure, a higher vessel density, and improved functional outcome.

Analysis of run-in and treatment data in a wound outcomes registry: clinical impact of topical platelet-rich plasma gel on healing trajectory.

Randomised controlled trials in chronic wounds typically exclude patients with comorbidities and confounding factors. Well-designed observational studies can provide complementary clinical evidence that randomised trials cannot address. This study determined if wound care registry outcomes could be an alternative data source and if the results would be robust and valid. Changes in wound area and depth were hypothesised to be different between run-in therapies and platelet-rich plasma (AutoloGel™, Cytomedix, Inc) treatment. From a treatment registry of 285 chronic wounds, 46 had run-in and post-treatment data. Seven chronic wound categories were identified. Mean wound age at study start was 52·4 days. General linear model repeated measures showed a credible and robust data set. Statistically significant differences for wound area and depth were observed between run-in and post-treatment period at multiple time points. Wound area and depth ≥50% reduction were analysed using Kaplan-Meier methods. During run-in, 15% of wound area improved compared to 28% post-treatment and 11% of wound depth improved during run-in compared to 39% post-treatment. Significant clinical outcomes indicated many previously non responsive wounds began actively healing in response to platelet-rich plasma therapy, indicating that registry data can be used as a complementary source of evidence.