StemCurCol – 3D printed scaffold for diabetic wound regeneration

Diabetic wounds, particularly diabetic foot ulcers, pose a significant challenge for treatment due to impaired healing and susceptibility to complications. The complex pathophysiology of wounds involves dysregulated cellular and molecular processes. Advanced therapeutic strategies are needed to address the different stages of wound healing. Curcumin, a natural polyphenol, has been shown to enhance epidermal re-epithelialization, mobilize cellular participants in wound repair, and improve different stages of wound healing. In this work curcumin-chitosan nanoparticles have been prepared and characterized, and incorporated in collagen with stem cells and were implanted into normal and diabetic mice with induced wounds and their effects on wound healing were evaluated over 14 days. Animals treated with StemCurCol scaffolds presented faster closure rates and enhanced re-epithelialization than the controls, and the cells contributed to regeneration by forming new tissues, and rapidly closing wounds.