A.S. Raihane, G.M. Deusch, C. Liu, B. Nafajoa, D.G. Armstrong
Pasadena City College / UC Irvine,
United States
Keywords: wound dressings, diabetic foot ulcers, biotech, NOVO Nordisk, spinal cord stimulation
Summary:
The increasing global prevalence of chronic diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes emphasizes the imminent need for innovative approaches to address their profound impact on health and health care costs. With 38.4 million diagnosed cases and an additional 8.7 million undiagnosed individuals in the United States, alongside 97.6 million prediabetic Americans, urgent attention is required, particularly for at-risk minority populations. Factors such as urbanization, sedentary lifestyles, and obesity are propelling this epidemic, with over 537 million individuals worldwide projected to have diabetes by 2030. Complications of diabetes, including critical limb ischemia, pose significant risks, emphasizing the need for timely interventions to prevent limb loss and adverse cardiovascular events. Collaborative efforts between companies like General Electric (GE) Health care and Novo Nordisk explore promising non-invasive treatments, such as peripheral focused ultrasound (pFUS) for neuromodulation. Other studies have demonstrated the efficacy of 10-kHz spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in managing painful diabetic neuropathy, and Abbott Neuromodulation’s BurstDR therapy is beneficial for chronic back pain. Furthermore, ultrasound-driven splenic stimulation shows promise in wound care for diabetic ulcers and burn wounds in humans. Further innovations in the field of neuromodulation include remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) for diabetic foot ulcers and tibial transverse transport (TTT) for severe debilitating cases. Integrated surgical wound treatment (ISWT), which combines TTT with debridement and skin grafting, continues to offer possible management for chronic limb ischemia. This review explores these innovative neuromodulatory strategies, highlighting their potential to revolutionize diabetes management and mitigate the impact of chronic limb-threatening ischemia, all while reducing the health care burden globally. However, further research and larger-scale studies are needed to fully understand the long-term implications.