Targeting Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in the Treatment of Impaired Wound Healing: A Systematic Review

The 2018 systematic review examined the impact of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction on impaired wound healing, with a particular focus on chronic wounds such as those associated with diabetes. It found that while reactive oxygen species (ROS) are necessary for normal healing processes, their overproduction or insufficient removal can cause oxidative damage and lead to non-healing wounds. The review highlighted the potential of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory treatments that target mitochondrial dysfunction, such as elamipretide, to improve wound healing. It also discussed the role of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in diabetic wounds, which contribute to oxidative damage and impaired healing. The review concluded that redox-based therapeutic strategies, especially those targeting mitochondrial ROS, show promise in treating chronic wounds and should be further developed and evaluated in clinical settings.