Silver nanoparticles: Advanced and promising technology in diabetic wound therapy

Wounds associated with diabetes mellitus are the most severe co-morbidities, which could be progressed to cause cell necrosis leading to amputation. Statistics on the recent status of the diabetic wounds revealed that the disease affects 15% of diabetic patients, where 20% of them undergo amputation of their limb. Conventional therapies are found to be ineffective due to changes in the molecular architecture of the injured area, urging novel deliveries for effective treatment. Therefore, recent researches are on the development of new and effective wound care materials. Literature is evident in providing potential tools in topical drug delivery for wound healing under the umbrella of nanotechnology, where nano-scaffolds and nanofibers have shown promising results. The nano-sized particles are also known to promote healing of wounds by facilitating proper movement through the healing phases. To date, focuses have been made on the efficacy of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in treating the diabetic wound, where these nanoparticles are known to exploit potential biological properties in producing anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. AgNPs are also known to activate cellular mechanisms towards the healing of chronic wounds; however, associated toxicities of AgNPs are of great concern. This review is an attempt to illustrate the use of AgNPs in wound healing to facilitate this delivery system in bringing into clinical applications for a superior dressing and treatment over wounds and ulcers in diabetes patients.