New Projects to Investigate the Genomics of Chronic Wound Repair

The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) in the US has announced plans to provide around $2 million in funding for projects that will investigate the genomics of predisposition to, and repair of, chronic wounds (defined as wounds which have not healed within 3 months) . The aim is to find new ways of identifying those individuals most at risk of developing such wounds, and effective new interventions to treat them, possibly tailored to specific genetic features of different patient groups.
 
The call for applications outlines various areas of potential research, including underlying genomic and epigenetic mechanisms; development of new technologies to assess wounds (including bacterial infection) and deliver genome-based treatments; and assessment of the clinical utility of genome-based strategies for chronic wound management.

Comment: Chronic wounds are a significant health problem among the elderly, disabled, and other populations, so it will be very interesting to see whether genomics can offer any novel angles for tackling an old problem in this relatively new area of application.