Gene Therapy to Enhance Angiogenesis in Chronic Wounds Publisher



Shaabani E^{1, 2} ; Sharifiaghdam M^{1, 2} ; Faridimajidi R² ; De Smedt SC¹ ; Braeckmans K¹ ; Fraire JC¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids Published:2022

Abstract

Skin injuries and chronic non-healing wounds are one of the major global burdens on the healthcare systems worldwide due to their difficult-to-treat nature, associated co-morbidities, and high health care costs. Angiogenesis has a pivotal role in the wound-healing process, which becomes impaired in many chronic non-healing wounds, leading to several healing disorders and complications. Therefore, induction or promotion of angiogenesis can be considered a promising approach for healing of chronic wounds. Gene therapy is one of the most promising upcoming strategies for the treatment of chronic wounds. It can be classified into three main approaches: gene augmentation, gene silencing, and gene editing. Despite the increasing number of encouraging results obtained using nucleic acids (NAs) as active pharmaceutical ingredients of gene therapy, efficient delivery of NAs to their site of action (cytoplasm or nucleus) remains a key challenge. Selection of the right therapeutic cargo and delivery methods is crucial for a favorable prognosis of the healing process. This article presents an overview of gene therapy and non-viral delivery methods for angiogenesis induction in chronic wounds. © 2022 The Author(s)