A Designed Host Defense Peptide for the Topical Treatment of MRSA-Infected Diabetic Wounds.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by metabolic dysregulation which is frequently associated with diabetic foot ulcers that result from a severely compromised innate immune system. The high levels of blood glucose characteristic of diabetes cause an increase in circulating inflammatory mediators, which accelerate cellular senescence and dampen antimicrobial activity within dermal tissue. In diabetic wounds, bacteria and fungi proliferate in a protective biofilm forming a structure that a compromised host defense system cannot easily penetrate, often resulting in chronic infections that require antimicrobial intervention to promote the healing process.