What Researchers Did
This review article examined the discovery and development of topical medicines and treatments for enhancing wound healing in chronic, nonhealing skin wounds.
What They Found
Chronic, nonhealing skin wounds account for over 3% of the healthcare budget in industrialized countries, with incidence on the rise. Current treatments largely involve medical device dressings, negative pressure, or hyperbaric oxygen, while emerging trends include biologics and gene therapy for drug delivery.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Patients with chronic wounds may benefit from ongoing research into new biologics and gene therapies, which aim to accelerate healing beyond current dressing-based approaches. Improved understanding of therapeutic mechanisms could lead to more effective and targeted treatments, potentially reducing the burden of nonhealing wounds and associated healthcare costs.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The review highlights the challenge of a lack of coherent clinical evidence for many approved products in active wound care, reflecting the multifaceted nature of nonhealing wounds.