Project description:Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a devastating complication of diabetes. To better understand the molecular mechanisms and cell types implicated in DFU healing, we used NanoString’s GeoMx Digital Spatial profiling platform on DFU tissue sections and compared gene expression of areas within the same ulcer as well as between patients who in 12 weeks following surgery healed their DFU (Healers, N=2) vs those who did not (Non-Healers, N=2).
Project description:Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a devastating complication of diabetes. In order to identify systemic and local factors associated with DFU healing, we examined the cellular landscape of DFUs by single-cell RNA-seq analysis of foot and forearm skin specimens, as well as PBMC samples, from 10 non-diabetic subjects, and 17 diabetic patients, 11 with, and 6 without DFU. Our analysis shows enrichment of a unique inflammatory fibroblast population in DFU patients with healing wounds. The patients with healing DFUs also depicted enrichment of macrophages with M1 polarization, as opposed to more M2 macrophages in non-healing wounds. These findings were verified using Immunohistochemistry and Spatial Transcriptomics.
Project description:Objective: This study aims to investigate the diversity of fibroblasts present in diabetic ulcers and their impact on the wound healing process, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy in the management of diabetic ulcers. Methodology: The single-cell dataset GSE165816 from the GEO database was utilized to analyze DFU-healer and DFU-nonhealer samples in order to evaluate variations in fibroblasts. Functional characteristics of fibroblasts were investigated through analyses of cell communication, transcription factors, and pseudotime analysis. Additionally, a diabetic ulcer rat model was established to compare the therapeutic effects of PRP, followed by histological and transcriptomic sequencing analyses. Result: Single-cell sequencing analysis identified a greater abundance of fibroblasts in the group of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) patients who exhibited healing. The findings from biological informatics analysis emphasized the critical role of fibroblasts in the wound healing process. Treatment with PRP notably enhanced wound healing in diabetic ulcers in rats, and transcriptomic analysis indicated that gene expression levels post-PRP treatment resembled those of the non-diabetic ulcer group, with a strong association to fibroblasts. Conclusion: Fibroblasts are essential in the process of healing diabetic ulcers, as certain transcription factors have the potential to facilitate wound closure. PRP therapy has been shown to enhance the healing process in diabetic ulcer rat models, possibly through the modulation of gene expression and the promotion of extracellular matrix arrangement. This research offers novel insights and potential therapeutic approaches for managing diabetic ulcers.
Project description:Single Cell Analysis of Gene expression profile as single cell level of chronic diabetic foot ulcers and chronic non-diabetic foot ulcer Foot Wounds
Project description:Infection in diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are one of the major complications associated with diabetic patients. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common offending pathogen in patients with infected DFU. Previous studies have suggested application of species-specific antibodies against S. aureus for diagnosis and monitoring treatment response. Early and accurate identification of the main pathogen is critical for management of DFU infection. Understanding the host immune response against species-specific infection may facilitate diagnosis and suggest potential intervention options to promote healing infected DFUs. We sought to investigate evolving host transcriptome associated with surgical treatment of S. aureus infected DFU. This study compared the transcriptome profile of twenty-one patients with S. aureus infected DFU who underwent initial foot salvage therapy with irrigation and debridement followed by intravenous antibiotics therapy. Blood samples were collected at the recruitment (0-weeks) and 8-week after therapy to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We analyzed the PBMCs expression of transcriptomes at two different time points (0 vs 8-week). Subjects were further divided into two groups at 8-week: healed (n=17, 80.95%) versus non-healed (n=4,19.05%) based on the wound healing status. DESeq2 differential gene analysis was performed. An increased expression of IGHG1, IGHG2, IGHG3 and IGLV3-21, IGLV6-57 were noted during active infection at 0-week compared to 8-week. Lysine and arginine-rich histones (HIST1H2AJ, HIST1H2AL, HIST1H2BM, HIST1H3B and HIST1H3G) were upregulated at the initial phase of active infection at 0-week. CD177 and RRM2 were also upregulated at the initial phase of active infection (0-week) compared to 8-week follow-up. Genes of heat shock protein members (HSPA1A, HSPE1, and HSP90B1) were high in not-healed compared to healed patients 8-week after therapy. The outcome of our study suggests that identification of genes evolution based on a transcriptomic profiling could be a useful tool for diagnosing infection, assessing severity and assess host-immune response to therapies.
Project description:Circular RNA (circRNA) microarray analysis was performed to examine the expression profiles of circRNAs in diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and in human excisional skin wounds 7 days after injury.
Project description:We examined the feasibility of single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis to evaluate human chronic wound samples acquired in the clinic, subjected to prolonged cold ischemia time, and processed without FACS sorting. Wound tissue from human diabetic and non-diabetic plantar foot ulcers were evaluated using an optimized 10X Genomics scRNA-seq platform and analyzed using a modified data pipeline designed for low-yield specimens. Cell subtypes were identified informatically and their distributions and transcriptional programs were compared between diabetic and non-diabetic tissue. 139,000 diabetic and non-diabetic wound cells were delivered for 10X capture after either 90 or 180 min of cold ischemia time. cDNA library concentrations were 858.7 and 364.7 pg/µL, respectively, prior to sequencing. Among all barcoded fragments, we found that 83.5% successfully aligned to the human transcriptome and 68% met the minimum cell viability threshold. The average mitochondrial mRNA fraction was 8.5% for diabetic cells and 6.6% for non-diabetic cells, correlating with differences in cold ischemia time. A total of 384 individual cells were of sufficient quality for subsequent analyses; from this cell pool, we identified transcriptionally-distinct cell clusters whose gene expression profiles corresponded to fibroblasts, keratinocytes, neutrophils, monocytes, and endothelial cells. Fibroblast subpopulations with differing fibrotic potentials were identified, and their distributions were found to be altered in diabetic vs. non-diabetic cells.