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Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Synergizing Antegrade Endoscopic with Bridging Vein Harvesting for Improvement of Great Saphenous Vein Graft Quality from the Lower Leg
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Healing refractory venous ulcers: new treatments offer hope

Robert S Kirsner1, Katherine L Baquerizo Nole1, Joshua D Fox1

  • 1Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology
|December 16, 2014
PubMed

Insights

A peptide mimetic of connexin 43 (Cx43) called ACT1 accelerated healing in patients with chronic venous leg ulcers (VLUs). This finding offers hope for treating non-healing wounds, though further research is needed.

Area of Science:

  • Cellular biology
  • Wound healing research
  • Biomedical engineering

Background:

  • Non-healing wounds exhibit inflammatory and proteolytic environments, hindering natural repair processes.
  • Connexins, particularly connexin 43 (Cx43), play a role in intercellular signaling and wound repair.
  • Cx43 is downregulated in normal healing but upregulated in non-healing venous leg ulcers (VLUs).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of ACT1, a Cx43 mimetic peptide, in accelerating the healing of chronic VLUs.
  • To investigate therapeutic strategies for refractory wounds unresponsive to standard treatments.

Main Methods:

  • A small phase II clinical trial was conducted.
  • Participants were Indian patients with chronic VLUs.
  • ACT1 was administered as a treatment alongside standard care.

Main Results:

  • ACT1 significantly accelerated wound healing in the treatment group compared to controls.
  • The study demonstrated the therapeutic potential of targeting Cx43 in VLU treatment.

Conclusions:

  • ACT1 shows promise as a novel therapeutic agent for accelerating the healing of chronic VLUs.
  • Further investigation and regulatory evaluation are necessary to bring ACT1 into clinical practice for refractory wounds.

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