Exosomes and skin healing in diabetes
Official title: Exosomes in wound healing
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11360166 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study exploring how tiny vesicles from skin cells communicate with immune cells to improve healing of diabetic wounds.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | August 22, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $692,804 |
| NIH project number | 4R01DK129592-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11360166 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with diabetes who have chronic, non-healing wounds may be eligible for related studies or future trials.
✕Less likely to help
People without diabetes or with acute wounds may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
If you have diabetes and struggle with slow-healing wounds, this project looks at how skin cells release small packages that talk to immune cells at the wound site. The researchers will study how these exosomes deliver genetic messages and how a specific molecule, miR-21, might help turn off prolonged inflammation. They will also examine how diabetes changes the surface of these exosomes and whether that affects delivery to macrophages that are critical for healing. The goal is to uncover new ways to promote timely, healthy wound repair by fixing the cell-to-cell communication at the wound edge.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that hasten healing for diabetic wounds by improving the body’s own cell communication.
How similar studies have gone: Previous related work has shown that exosomes can influence wound inflammation, with potential but still evolving translational benefits.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ghatak, Subhadip — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Ghatak, Subhadip
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.