Addressing the Peri-Wound Intact Skin of Hard-To-Heal Diabetic Foot Ulcers With Topical Red Deer Conditioned Media (PTT-6) Skin Conditioner: A Case Series on Clinical Efficacy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The healing of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) can be hindered by the susceptibility of the surrounding intact skin to pro-inflammatory proteases. A conditioned media, known as PTT-6, derived from mesenchymal stem cells found in the lining of red deer umbilical cords, has been formulated to protect the intact peri-wound skin of DFUs. The aim is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of PTT-6 in managing peri-wound intact skin in hard-to-heal DFUs.

METHODS

Patients with DFUs that persisted for over 3 months were divided into two subgroups. The active wound group received standard-of-care treatment protocol followed by PTT-6 application around the peri-wound area, while the maintenance wound group applied PTT-6 media over the healed wound site.

RESULTS

Forty cases were recorded, of which 22 (55%) were included in the active wound group. The majority were male (75%,  = 30) and vast majority had cardiovascular risk factors, including diabetes mellitus (100%,  = 40), hyperlipidemia (82.5%,  = 33), and hypertension (77.5%,  = 31). Most patients had forefoot wounds (80%,  = 32) on the plantar aspect (82.5%,  = 33). The patients in the active wound group had chronic DFUs for a mean of 218 ± 201 days. Of those treated with PTT-6™ media, 68.4% ( = 13) achieved complete wound healing within a mean duration of 69 ± 50 days. Additionally, most patients in the maintenance wound group remained ulcer-free at 3 months (91.7%,  = 11) and 6 months (66.7%,  = 6).

CONCLUSION

The study results suggest that PTT-6 media may serve as an additional treatment modality for enhancing the microenvironment at the peri-wound intact skin site. This could indirectly facilitate wound healing by preserving the integrity of the peri-wound intact skin.