# SymHeal: A novel therapy for treating non-healing diabetic ulcers

> **NIH NIH R41** · SELSYM BIOTECH, INC. · 2022 · $229,474

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Non-healing wounds are a significant clinical problem both in the United States and globally. These
wounds, defined as wounds that remain unhealed for upwards of 12 weeks, result in diminished quality
of life for patients and greatly increase their susceptibility to serious infections such as gangrene that may
lead to amputations. Non-healing wounds often arise as a side effect of other chronic health conditions,
with diabetic foot ulcers being one of the most prevalent forms of non-healing wounds in the domestic
and global population. The prevalence of these wounds is projected to increase over the next 25 years
as incidence rates of diabetes mellitus rise worldwide. Effective healing of these wounds is complicated
by the unique microenvironment present within non-healing wounds, and within diabetic ulcers in
particular; upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases in the wound bed prevent the robust formation of
new extracellular matrix, limiting the ability of fibroblasts and keratinocytes to migrate into the wound bed
and resulting in a senescent “barrier” of cells around the wound edge that further inhibits healing. Current
treatments for diabetic wounds include living skin equivalents, scaffolds, platelet-rich plasma, and high
dose growth factors; however, these therapies are limited by high cost, immunologic concerns, lack of
full biochemical and/or mechanical support for complete wound repair, supply shortages, variability in
preparation methods and efficacy, and risk of off-target complications such as tumorigenesis. We have
recently developed SymHeal, a synthetic, platelet-mimetic technology capable of interfacing with nascent
fibrin within the wound bed to form micro-scale fibrin-colloid scaffolds that can induce clot contraction and
mechanically activate fibroblast migration into and within the wound bed via durotaxis. Our initial studies
demonstrate that SymHeal is capable of recapitulating platelet-mimetic clot contraction and improving
wound healing outcomes in both in vitro and in vivo murine models of dermal wound healing; however,
SymHeal has not yet been evaluated in a model of chronic wound healing, limiting the current
translational potential of this technology. The long-term goal of this project is to develop SymHeal for use
in topical treatment of non-healing chronic wounds, particularly diabetic ulcers, in order to better address
a significant clinical need within the wound healing field and facilitate further clinical translation of this
technology for use in diabetic patients. The objective in this application is to evaluate SymHeal efficacy
alone and in combination with loaded platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) for the improvement of
fibroblast migration and wound healing in diabetic models in vitro and in vivo. Our central hypothesis is
that SymHeal will greatly improve healing and fibroblast migration relative to untreated and clinical
controls in both models, and that SymHeal loaded with PDGF will bri...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10602837
- **Project number:** 1R41DK135288-01
- **Recipient organization:** SELSYM BIOTECH, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Seema Nandi
- **Activity code:** R41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $229,474
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-20 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10602837

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10602837, SymHeal: A novel therapy for treating non-healing diabetic ulcers (1R41DK135288-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10602837. Licensed CC0.

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