Almost 5 years have passed since the last WOUNDS section dedicated to the Biology and Treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers was published. One major change since then is the awareness that diabetes, especially type 2, is becoming pandemic and poses significant social and economic challenges even among highly developed societies. Diabetic foot problems are also on the rise and it is expected that these problems will become more widespread as the number of patients with diabetes increases and their life expectancy is prolonged.

The diabetic foot is considered one of the most significant complications of diabetes, representing a major worldwide medical, social, and economic problem that greatly affects patient quality of life. The risk for a patient with diabetes to develop a foot ulcer is close to 25%¹ leading frequently to disablement and leg amputation.^2,3 It has been estimated that every 30 seconds a lower limb is amputated somewhere in the world because of diabetes.⁴

Foot ulceration in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) affects quality of life and creates a significant economic burden for both the patient and healthcare systems worldwide.^1–3 The annual incidence of foot ulcers is 1%–4% while the prevalence is 5%–10% in patients with DM.^1,4 The lifetime risk for foot ulcers development in patients with diabetes is nearly 15%,1 and frequently leads to disability and leg amputation.^1,2 The link between foot ulcers and leg amputations is indisputable, as diabetes is the cause of almost 50% of all nontrau

Organogenesis to Develop Regenerative Medicine Therapies for US Military

Organogenesis Inc (Canton, Mass) has joined a consortium lead by the Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (Winston-Salem, NC), which has been awarded $42.5 million over 5 years by the US Army Institute of Surgical Research ([ISR], Fort Sam, Houston, Tex) to co-lead one of the two academic groups that will form the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM).