Chessboard-like Burn Wound Healing Model of Mice Based on Digital Heating Device
December 27th, 2024
A streamlined protocol is presented for establishing a burn wound healing model in mice using a digital heating device. The chessboard-like experimental sites created on the skin facilitate further functional analysis for the wound healing assay.
We have developed a simple, cost-effective, and user-friendly mouse burn animal model for creating consistent full-thickness burns. This study will provide researchers with essential tools to facilitate the development of novel treatments for burn injury. Methods used to produce burn surfaces vary among experimental animal models.
However, the technique of burn infliction and produced burn depths are also inconsistent and poorly described in previous studies, which is crucial in determining the severity of the burn and methods of burn treatment. In this protocol, we used a convenient digital heating device to create a chessboard-like burn wound on the mouse dorsum. It provides precise temperature control, enhancing safety and reproducibility compared to other variable techniques, which minimizes animal use and allows for reliable wound healing studies.
To begin, adjust the temperature of the digital heating device to 97 degrees Celsius. Once the mouse is deeply anesthetized, transfer it onto the heated pad in a prone position. Employ has sterilized one milliliter pipette tip with a diameter of nine millimeters to accurately pinpoint the desired wounding sites.
Cover the skin with a previously trimmed sterile drape, leaving the surgical area exposed. Put on heat-resistant gloves and verify the temperature of the digital heating device. Then apply the tip of the heating device to the center of the located wound sites for 10 seconds at 97 degrees Celsius to create six round wounds, each with a diameter of four millimeters.
Next, apply ice to the burn wound to manage potential pain. Place the mouse in a recovery cage, then soften some food pellets with five to 10 drops of drinking water and place them on the cage floor to facilitate feeding. After 24 hours of burn induction, clean all wounds with sterile gauze moistened with saline.
Blot the skin with gauze, and apply a small amount of TKH hydrogel antibacterial gel using a syringe to cover the burn wounds. On specific days post burn induction, mark the wound with the tip of a sterile one milliliter pipette tip and capture an image with a digital camera. After euthanizing the animal, using scissors, isolate the wound site and surrounding skin including the underlying musculature, measuring one by one centimeter.
Microscopic analysis showed complete destruction of the epidermis and full-thickness dermal damage extending to subcutaneous fat and muscle layers. By day three, the wounds were in the inflammatory stage with vasodilation and significant infiltration of inflammatory cells. By day seven, a notable reduction in wound area was observed, and on day 14, granulation tissue formed with dense collagen deposition marking the remodeling stage.
Wound healing abilities were significantly improved in wounds treated with TKH peptide hydrogel as evidenced by smaller wound areas on days seven, 10, and 14 compared to untreated wounds.
Overview
This study presents a streamlined protocol for establishing a burn wound healing model in mice using a digital heating device. The technique generates consistent full-thickness burns, allowing for reliable functional analysis of wound healing.
Key Study Components
Research Area
- Burn injury and treatment
- Wound healing mechanisms
- Animal model development
Background
- Challenges in existing burn models include inconsistency in burn depth and infliction techniques.
- The need for reliable models to study wound healing and treatment efficacy.
- This study addresses the need for a cost-effective, user-friendly approach.
Methods Used
- Implementation of a digital heating device to create burn wounds.
- Mouse model for studying wound healing.
- Application of TKH hydrogel for wound treatment assessment.
Main Results
- Complete destruction of the epidermis and full-thickness dermal damage was observed.
- By day 14, treated wounds exhibited improved healing compared to untreated wounds.
- Significant differences in wound area measurements were validated through microscopic analysis.
Conclusions
- The study successfully demonstrates a reproducible model for burn wound healing research.
- This model is relevant for the development of new burn treatments and understanding healing processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Executive Industry Relevance
Consistent and reproducible in vivo burn models are critical for preclinical evaluation of wound healing therapeutics and mechanistic studies of tissue repair. The chessboard-like mouse burn model using a digital heating device addresses variability in burn depth and area, supporting robust target validation and translational continuity in wound healing research. This model enables biopharma teams to generate quantitative, standardized data for candidate screening and mechanistic de-risking in early discovery pipelines.
Strategic Applications in Biopharma R&D
Early Discovery & Target Validation
- Enables rigorous interrogation of wound healing pathways and therapeutic hypotheses in a controlled in vivo system.
- Supports functional target validation by providing reproducible injury and healing endpoints.
- Facilitates predictive confidence in candidate selection through standardized injury induction and healing assessment.
Screening & Assay Development
- Prepares validated animal models for downstream screening of wound healing compounds and biomaterials.
- Enables assay standardization and reproducibility by controlling burn size, depth, and location.
- Generates quantitative outputs such as wound area reduction and histological scores for reliable compound evaluation.
Translational & Preclinical Research
- Aligns with disease-relevant endpoints by modeling full-thickness burns and tissue remodeling phases.
- Supports continuity from discovery through preclinical validation by enabling histological and functional readouts.
- Provides mechanistic de-risking for therapeutic candidates targeting inflammation, re-epithelialization, and granulation tissue formation.
Pipeline & Workflow Integration
This model fits within the early discovery to preclinical validation continuum, enabling hypothesis testing, lead identification, and translational assessment of wound healing interventions.
- Discovery Biology: Facilitates hypothesis testing and pathway clarification in wound repair and inflammation.
- Screening: Provides reproducible, quantitative wound healing metrics for compound triage.
- Analytics: Delivers standardized measurements of wound area, histological features, and healing kinetics.
- Translational Research: Bridges discovery and preclinical phases by modeling clinically relevant burn injury and repair.
- Enterprise Reuse: Offers a reusable, standardized platform for evaluating diverse wound healing modalities and interventions.
Operational & Enterprise Impact
- Scientific Value: Increases predictive confidence and reduces mechanistic ambiguity in wound healing studies.
- Operational Value: Enhances standardization, reproducibility, and scalability of in vivo burn models.
- Strategic Value: Improves go/no-go decisions and capital efficiency by providing robust preclinical data.
- Portfolio Impact: Supports risk-adjusted prioritization and advancement of wound healing candidates.
Implementation Considerations
- Requires expertise in animal handling, anesthesia, and wound care procedures.
- Needs access to a digital heating device with precise temperature control and imaging infrastructure for wound assessment.
- Demands cross-team standardization of burn induction and healing evaluation protocols.
- Adaptation may be needed for different mouse strains or wound healing endpoints.
- Limitations include model species differences and the need for histological validation of injury depth.
