Unravelling the Microbiome's Role in Healing Diabetic Wounds

Abstract

The process of wound healing is intricate and requires close coordination; any disruption to this process can have catastrophic results. It is hypothesized that chronic wounds that do not heal or that cease healing entirely can be caused by a combination of host factors and bacteria that are present in a wound bed or wound bed environment. There is currently a lack of understanding regarding the role that the cutaneous microbiome plays in the healing process of wounds, despite the fact that methods that do not rely on culture have revealed the role that the gut microbiome plays in human health and illness. In order to keep the host immune system in check, protect the epithelial barrier function, and ward off harmful microbes, skin commensals play a crucial role. This review compiles the research on the effects of microbiome modifications on wound healing and tissue regeneration from both clinical and pre-clinical investigations on a variety of chronic skin wounds. It is now clear that human skin commensals, symbionts, and pathogens all play a part in the inflammatory response, which in turn suggests a number of ways to treat wounds that are infected and not healing. To fully understand the function of the human skin microbiome in both short-term and long-term wound healing, additional study is required to reconcile the conflicting and contentious results of previous investigations.