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Updated: Jul 4, 2026
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Protocol to Create Chronic Wounds in Diabetic Mice
Published on: September 25, 2019
Transcriptomic Profiling of Diabetic Porcine Wound Healing Model Identifies Key Metabolic, Inflammatory, and
Joshua T McCune1, Mariah G Bezold1, Jeffrey M Davidson2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
Summary
Diabetic foot ulcers require better treatments. This study shows Yucatan minipigs, both diabetic and non-diabetic, offer a valuable preclinical model for studying diabetic wound healing and identifying new therapeutic targets.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Science
- Wound Healing Research
- Preclinical Models
Background:
- Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a significant clinical problem, exacerbated by rising diabetes prevalence.
- Existing rodent models inadequately mimic human skin and wound repair processes.
- Current porcine models often use healthy animals, failing to represent diabetic conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate wound healing in Yucatan minipigs with and without diabetes.
- To identify transcriptional differences in wounds between diabetic and non-diabetic Yucatan minipigs.
- To validate the Yucatan minipig as a preclinical model for diabetic wound research.
Main Methods:
- Creation of full-thickness skin wounds in non-diabetic and diabetic Yucatan minipigs.
- Comparative analysis of wound healing characteristics.
- RNA sequencing to identify differential gene expression and pathways.
Main Results:
- Significant transcriptional differences were observed in wounds of diabetic versus non-diabetic Yucatan minipigs.
- Key pathways identified include increased inflammation, oxidative stress, and reduced metabolism and extracellular matrix organization.
- These molecular changes align with known hallmarks of human diabetic wounds.
Conclusions:
- The Yucatan minipig model effectively recapitulates key aspects of human diabetic wound pathophysiology.
- This model is suitable for the discovery and testing of novel therapeutics for diabetic wounds.
- The generated RNA sequencing data provides a valuable resource for identifying potential therapeutic gene targets.