Figure 4.

The intrinsic networks responsible for rapid oral wound healing can be translated to elucidating the pathophysiology of chronic nonhealing wounds for the development of novel therapeutics. Comparison analyses of rapid (oral mucosa) and normal (skin) wounds to nonhealing diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) can be used to determine chronic wound-specific gene signatures and wound cell profiles responsible for poor healing outcomes in patients with DFUs. Analysis of wounds with different healing capacities provides a tool to identify molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets aimed at reprogramming chronic wounds into healing-competent wounds.