Abstract
A diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a serious complication in patients with diabetes mellitus
(DM). A DFU is the most common cause of non-traumatic limb amputation, and patients
with DFUs have increased mortality rates within 5 years after amputation. DFUs also
increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases; therefore, with
the increasing incidence and prevalence of diabetic foot wounds, DFUs are gradually
becoming a major public health problem. The pathophysiology of DFUs is complicated
and remains unclear. In recent years, many studies have demonstrated that the pathophysiology
of DFUs is especially associated with neuropeptides, inflammation, and biofilms. Neuropeptides,
especially substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), play an important
role in wound healing. SP and CGRP accelerate the healing of cutaneous wounds by promoting
neovascularization, inhibiting the release of certain proinflammatory chemokines,
regulating macrophage polarization, and so on. However, the expression of SP and CGRP
was downregulated in DM and DFUs. DFUs are characterized by a sustained inflammatory
phase. Immune cells such as neutrophils and macrophages are involved in the sustained
inflammatory phase in DFUs by extracellular traps (NETs) and dysregulated macrophage
polarization, which delays wound healing. Furthermore, DFUs are at increased risk
of biofilm formation. Biofilms disturb wound healing by inducing a chronic inflammatory
response, inhibiting macrophage phagocytosis and keratinocyte proliferation migration,
and transferring antimicrobial resistance genes. To understand the relationships among
neuropeptides, inflammation, biofilms, and DFUs, this review highlights the recent
scientific advances that provide possible pathophysiological insights into the delayed
healing of DFUs.