New Approach Diagnoses, Monitors Chronic Wounds

Researchers at the University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR) have targeted cell metabolism as a new approach to diagnosing and monitoring chronic skin wounds. Using label-free multiphoton microscopy, which facilitates the measurement of cell autofluorescence, the researchers viewed tissue at the cellular level to see how changes in metabolism affect the healing process. With autofluorescence imaging of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide, the optical redox ratio of the 2 molecules allowed for a 3-dimensional map of the tissue’s metabolism.

Their method was applied to a 10-day study of wound metabolism in diabetic mice compared with healthy control mice. The study found changes in optical redox ratio and NADH fluorescence in diabetic mice indicated that cells remained at the wound edge rather than migrating throughout the wound bed.

Visit https://researchfrontiers.uark.edu/researchers-develop-new-method-to-diagnose-monitor-chronic-wounds/ for more information.