Wound healing by enhancing cell proliferation: a thermoreversible formulation containing raloxifene

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Drug Repurposing

Background:

• Ineffective wound healing leads to chronic conditions, necessitating advanced therapeutic strategies.
• Current treatments aim to enhance angiogenesis, re-epithelialization, collagen synthesis, and cell proliferation, but clinical translation faces hurdles.
• Raloxifene, a repurposed drug, is explored for its potential in accelerating wound healing processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize novel formulations for accelerated wound healing.
• To evaluate the efficacy of a Raloxifene-encapsulating formulation in promoting wound closure.
• To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the wound healing process induced by the formulation.

Main Methods:

• Four formulations (Forms 1-4) were prepared using alginate, poloxamer 407, LiCl, and fetal bovine serum.
• Characterization included scanning electron microscopy, Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy, and rheology.
• In vitro (cell viability, migration, drug release) and in vivo (rat wound model) assessments were performed.

Main Results:

• Formulation 3 demonstrated significant wound healing by day 14 (p<0.05).
• Gene expression analysis revealed upregulation of TGF-β, Col-I, and GSK3β.
• Histological examination confirmed complete epidermal and dermal layer development with organized collagen fibers.

Conclusions:

• The developed Raloxifene formulation (Form 3) effectively accelerates wound healing.
• The mechanism involves the upregulation of key genes involved in tissue regeneration and collagen synthesis.
• This formulation holds significant potential for clinical translation in treating chronic wounds.