Role of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) in Wound Healing

Supervisors: Professor Mirela Delibegovic and Dr Nimesh Mody (Institute of Medical Sciences)

Impairments in diabetic wound healing including the diabetic foot ulceration (DFU) is a common complication that occurs in ~20% of diabetic patients and often requires prolonged hospitalisations and even major amputations for its management. The cost for treatment of DFU and amputations in the UK alone in 2001 was estimated to be 5% of the total NHS budget (£3 billion) and costing around £252 million. Thus, development of a more effective treatment for chronic diabetic wounds is imperative. The study of the significance of immune cells, in particular white blood cells (macrophages) in the process of wound healing, carries the potential to identify novel therapeutic approaches for DFU that will significantly improve the health and the quality of life of diabetic patients.

We aim to test our hypothesis that diabetes (hyperglycaemia) increases levels of a protein called PTP1B in these macrophages, and that inhibiting PTP1B in these cells will speed up the process of healing in diabetic wound healing.

Application:

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