Wound Healing Process, Diabetes and Implications of Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV (DPP IV/CD26)

Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV or molecule CD26 (DPP IV/CD26) is a multifunctional protein, identified as a therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes, due to its ability to degrade incretins, insulin secretagogues. Delayed wound healing is a significant complication in diabetic patients that represents a major socio-economic health problem. It has been proposed that DPP IV/CD26 inhibition accelerates healing of chronic diabetic ulcers in those patients, through the induction of a histological pattern consistent with enhanced angiogenesis. Studies on mice models of diabetesdisturbed wound healing also suggested that the inhibition of DPP IV enzymatic activity may improve tissue regeneration processes. However, further research is needed to elucidate the role of DPP IV/CD26 in diabetic wound healing. The objective of this work was to discuss recent findings on the implications of DPP IV/CD26 in tissue regeneration and reparation in diabetic environment.