New treatments for chronic, slow-healing wounds andperipheral artery disease may be one outcome of new research published today inthe journal Circulation Research.

The study outlines the ways in which a connective muscletissue protein called “fibronectin” affect blood flow.

“Our data study suggests that engineeringfibronectin could provide a simple, elegant way to maintain normal blood vesselfunction in the aging, and to restore such function in hard-to-healwounds,” said Ingrid H. Sarelius, Ph.D., professor of Pharmacology andPhysiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and a study author.

“Applying topical ointments that contain ourengineered fibronectin fragments to chronic wounds should increase nutritiveblood flow to accelerate healing,” she added.