Helen H. Wang

All Publications

• Wound Healing and Management Considerations in the Pediatric Surgical Patient. Advances in wound care Liang, N. E., Jing, S. L., Suh, E. J., Wang, H. H., Pham, B. P., Chiu, B., Hyun, J. S., Griffin, M. F., Longaker, M. T., Fell, G. L. 2025

  Abstract

  Significance: Wound healing in pediatric patients is affected by physiology, growth, and development considerations unique from those in adults. In the following report, we review the primary literature on aging and wound healing and highlight clinical wound healing applications for the pediatric patient across age ranges from neonates and infants in the first year of life to adolescents (aged 10-19 years by World Health Organization definition). Recent Advances: We characterize the differences in wound healing biology between infants, adolescents, and adults and discuss wound care strategies for pediatric surgical patients, highlighting evidence-based guidelines for wound management. We discuss relevant animal models and review the multidisciplinary aspects of providing wound care for children. Critical Issues: Pediatric surgical patients have specialized wound care needs. Optimizing wound care outcomes for infants, children, and adolescents relies on an understanding of their wound-healing biology and unique physiological, psychological, and social considerations. Future Directions: Future directions in pediatric wound care will focus on validating and optimizing emerging technologies through pediatric-specific clinical trials, while also addressing key knowledge gaps in topical agent pharmacokinetics and advancing regenerative approaches like mesenchymal stem cell therapies tailored to the unique biology of infants and children.

  View details for DOI 10.1177/21621918251387640

  View details for PubMedID 41192826

• Characterizing Fibroblast Heterogeneity in Diabetic Wounds Through Single-Cell RNA-Sequencing. Biomedicines Wang, H. H., Korah, M., Jing, S. L., Berry, C. E., Griffin, M. F., Longaker, M. T., Januszyk, M. 2024; 12 (11)

  Abstract

  Diabetes mellitus is an increasingly prevalent chronic metabolic disorder characterized by physiologic hyperglycemia that, when left uncontrolled, can lead to significant complications in multiple organs. Diabetic wounds are common in the general population, yet the underlying mechanism of impaired healing in such wounds remains unclear. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) has recently emerged as a tool to study the gene expression of heterogeneous cell populations in skin wounds. Herein, we review the history of scRNAseq and its application to the study of diabetic wound healing, focusing on how innovations in single-cell sequencing have transformed strategies for fibroblast analysis. We summarize recent research on the role of fibroblasts in diabetic wound healing and describe the functional and cellular heterogeneity of skin fibroblasts. Moreover, we highlight future opportunities in diabetic wound fibroblast research, with a focus on characterizing distinct fibroblast subpopulations and their lineages. Leveraging single-cell technologies to explore fibroblast heterogeneity and the complex biology of diabetic wounds may reveal new therapeutic targets for improving wound healing and ultimately alleviate the clinical burden of chronic wounds.

  View details for DOI 10.3390/biomedicines12112538

  View details for PubMedID 39595104