Annexin A1-containing extracellular vesicles and polymeric nanoparticles promote epithelial wound repair.

Epithelial restitution is an essential process that is required to repair barrier function at mucosal surfaces following injury. Prolonged breaches in epithelial barrier function result in inflammation and further damage; therefore, a better understanding of the epithelial restitution process has potential for improving the development of therapeutics. In this work, we demonstrate that endogenous annexin A1 (ANXA1) is released as a component of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from intestinal epithelial cells, and these ANXA1-containing EVs activate wound repair circuits. Compared with healthy controls, patients with active inflammatory bowel disease had elevated levels of secreted ANXA1-containing EVs in sera, indicating that ANXA1-containing EVs are systemically distributed in response to the inflammatory process and could potentially serve as a biomarker of intestinal mucosal inflammation. Local intestinal delivery of an exogenous ANXA1 mimetic peptide (Ac2-26) encapsulated within targeted polymeric nanoparticles (Ac2-26 Col IV NPs) accelerated healing of murine colonic wounds after biopsy-induced injury. Moreover, one-time systemic administration of Ac2-26 Col IV NPs accelerated recovery following experimentally induced colitis. Together, our results suggest that local delivery of proresolving peptides encapsulated within nanoparticles may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for clinical situations characterized by chronic mucosal injury, such as is seen in patients with IBD.

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery for ileocolic resection in Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Single-incision laparoscopic surgery is a development in the field of minimally invasive surgery that is being increasingly used for colorectal procedures. OBJECTIVE: We report on the short-term results of single-port laparoscopic ileocolic resection in patients with ileocecal Crohn's disease. DESIGN: This investigation is a retrospective matched-pair control study. Data were obtained from a prospectively maintained single-institution inflammatory bowel disease database. SETTINGS: This study was conducted at a tertiary care university hospital. PATIENTS: Twenty consecutive patients receiving elective single-port ileocolic resection between April 2010 and May 2011 were included (6 male, 14 female; age, 31.6 ± 10.8 years; BMI, 21.5 ± 2.6 kg/m). Their data were compared with the data of 20 individually matched patients who had undergone standard 3-trocar laparoscopic-assisted ileocolic resection between 2007 and 2010 (6 male, 14 female; age, 31.7 ± 10.7 years; BMI, 21.2 ± 2.5 kg/m). All patients had medically refractory stenosis of the terminal ileum in histologically confirmed Crohn's disease. INTERVENTIONS: Single-port laparoscopic-assisted or standard laparoscopic-assisted ileocolic resection was performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes measured were the surgical details and early outcome. RESULTS: : The mean length of the paraumbilical single-port incision was 3.8 cm (range, 2.5-5.0 cm). Conversion rates were similar in both groups (1/20 vs 2/20, p = 0.55). Additional strictureplasties or short-segment small-bowel resections were performed in both groups. The overall complication rate was 20% (4/20) in both groups. There were no observed differences in postoperative pain scores and hospital stay duration. LIMITATIONS: The limitations of this study were as follows: this study was a comparison of 2 different time points with possible selection bias, there was no prestudy power calculation, and the study might be underpowered. CONCLUSIONS: Single-port ileocolic resection is a safe procedure for the surgical treatment of stenotizing Crohn's disease of the terminal ileum. Avoidance of additional trocars was the only identified benefit.