Enhancing skin wound healing by direct delivery of intracellular adenosine triphosphate

Background A new intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) delivery technique has been developed and was tested for skin wound care. Methods Eleven pairs of adult nude mice were used. ATP-vesicles were applied in 11 mice, and another 11 mice were treated with lipid vesicles only. Results The group treated with ATP-encapsulated fusogenic small, unilamellar lipid vesicles healed faster than the group treated with only lipid vesicles. Histologic study indicated better developed granular tissue and re-epithelialization in the study group, and wound tissue vascular endothelial growth factor expressions were also higher in ATP-vesicles treated mice. Conclusions This intracellular ATP delivery system may provide a new hope for wound healing as well as the treatment of medical conditions in which ischemia is involved.