Changes in the extracellular matrix surrounding human chronic wounds revealed by 2‐photon imaging |
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| Authors: | Jessica ES Sutcliffe Christopher Thrasivoulou Thomas E Serena Leigh Madden Toby Richards Anthony RJ Phillips David L Becker |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College, London, UK;2. SerenaGroup, Wound and Hyperbaric Centers, Cambridge, MA, USA;3. Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore;4. Department of Surgery, University College London, London, UK;5. School of Biological Sciences, Auckland University, Auckland, New Zealand;6. Institute of Medical Biology, A*Star, Immunos, Singapore |
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| Abstract: | Chronic wounds are a growing problem worldwide with no effective therapeutic treatments available. Our objective was to understand the composition of the dermal tissue surrounding venous leg ulcers and diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). We used novel 2‐photon imaging techniques alongside classical histology to examine biopsies from the edges of two common types of chronic wound, venous leg ulcers and DFU. Compared to normal intact skin, we found that collagen levels are significantly reduced throughout the dermis of venous leg ulcer biopsies and DFU, with a reduction in both fibril thickness and abundance. Both wound types showed a significant reduction in elastin in the upper dermis, but in DFU, the loss was throughout the dermis. Loss of extracellular matrix correlated with high levels of CD68‐ and CD18‐positive leukocytes. 2‐photon imaging of the extracellular matrix in the intact tissue surrounding a chronic wound with a hand‐held device may provide a useful clinical indicator on the healing progression or deterioration of these wounds. |
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| Keywords: | Chronic wounds Extracellular matrix Second harmonic imaging |
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