Elucidating the Effects of Symmetry and Glycemic Conditions on Dermal Wound Healing Using a Novel Laser Direct Write Photoablation Assay

Conventional wound healing assays are inadequate for evaluating the influence of symmetry on wound healing as they either offer poor geometrical control of the wounds created or fail to trigger a wound healing response in cell layers. To address these issues, herein we developed a novel CAD/CAM laser direct write photoablation assay that enables the generation of wounds with precisely defined and highly customizable geometries. As proof of principle, we biologically validated this assay to study the influence of symmetry and glycemic condition on dermal wound healing. We demonstrated that dermal wounds with symmetrical geometries tend to heal faster than those with asymmetrical geometries regardless of the glycemic conditions. Further, we elucidated the relative strength of the effects of symmetry and glycemic condition on healing rates in the context of the dermal wound size.