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Diabetes wounds can linger for months, sometimes even years, without healing. These open sores, often found on the feet or legs, heal slowly because the body’s natural repair process is weakened. Skin cells do not grow fast enough, collagen, the protein that gives skin strength, forms poorly, and constant inflammation keeps the injury from closing. Doctors have tried methods like adding growth factors or transplanting cells, but these approaches often fall short. The transplanted cells may not live long enough or remain active enough to rebuild the damaged tissue.
Researchers have been searching for a better way to help the body repair itself. A team from the Air Force Medical University in China explored a different approach, preparing stem cells in a way that boosts their healing power before they are placed in a wound. Their study, published in Burns & Trauma, focused on stem cells taken from bone marrow. These cells, known for their ability to develop into many tissue types, can also send out signals that trigger repair and growth in surrounding tissue.
The scientists designed a special device that could stretch the cells gently while they grew in the lab. They tested various stretching patterns and strengths before finding the most effective method: a pull of about 15% of the cell’s length, repeated 1,440 times, with each stretch lasting five seconds. Under these conditions, the stem cells multiplied faster, held on to their ability to regenerate, and made more of the substances linked to wound repair. Among these were collagen types I and III, which are vital for skin strength, and VEGF and TGF-β, which help form new blood vessels and repair tissue.
When grown this way, the cells formed stronger sheets that could be lifted and placed over a wound without falling apart. Tests on diabetic rats showed that diabetes wounds treated with these stretched cell sheets closed more quickly and had more new blood vessel growth compared to diabetes wounds treated with unstretched cells or left untreated. The repaired tissue in these rats appeared better organized, with thicker collagen layers—signs of stronger, more lasting healing.
Dr. Yuqian Li, one of the researchers, explained that stretching changes how the cells behave, making them release more healing signals and move more efficiently into damaged areas. This suggests the stretching process could be used as a preparation step before treatment, making the stem cells more effective once they reach the wound.
The findings raise the possibility of creating ready-made wound dressings containing these enhanced cell sheets. Such dressings could be applied directly to stubborn diabetic ulcers, helping them close faster and lowering the time a patient needs medical care. Faster healing could also mean a lower risk of infection, which is a common and dangerous complication in diabetic wounds.
While the results are encouraging, the research has so far only been tested in animals. Studies in humans will be needed to see if the same effects occur. There are also practical questions to solve, such as how to produce the enhanced cell sheets in large numbers, how long they can be stored, and what the cost might be for hospitals and clinics.
Despite these challenges, the work offers a new direction for treating wounds that currently have few good solutions. Chronic wounds from diabetes can lead to serious problems, including loss of limbs, and they take a heavy toll on patients’ health and quality of life. A method that strengthens stem cells before they are used could give doctors a better tool for repairing damage from the inside out.
This research also supports the growing idea that the physical environment matters for how cells function. By applying a simple, controlled stretch in the lab, scientists may have found a way to unlock more of the cells’ natural healing ability before they ever touch a patient’s skin. If the approach works in people as it has in animals, cell-based dressings could become a regular part of diabetic wound care in the future, offering hope for faster recovery and stronger, longer-lasting repairs.
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Mechanical stretching boosts stem cell therapy for diabetic wounds
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