With the increasing growth and rising average age of the global population, the rate of diabetes is rapidly increasing. Up to 4% of patients with diabetes are likely to be affected by diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). These ulcers can arise for a variety of reasons, and once present often heal slowly, with high rates of recurrence, thus imposing a significant economic burden on affected individuals. Multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors have been found to regulate diabetic foot ulcer wound healing rates. Currently, the molecular mechanism of DFU remains elusive, and research into genetic biomarkers and signal transduction of DFU is of great necessity.

Although research efforts have been made in the treatment of DFU, this field is still at an early stage and there is no universal therapy for effective wound healing management. Alternative and more effective treatments need to be studied. In particular, attention should be paid to natural substances that are conducive to the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Furthermore, a variety of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) have been identified and utilized in DFU treatment, and the underlying mechanism of the functionality of TCM has been investigated through bioinformatic analysis.

This Special Issue aims to provide an improved understanding of the therapeutic strategies of DFU, in the hope that this will be helpful for a better understanding of how genetic alterations affect the development of DFU, facilitating early diagnosis and effective therapies, as well as identifying the potential molecular mechanisms. Original research and review articles are welcome.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Extracellular vesicles and DFU
• Application of engineering exosomes in DFU
• Gene therapy for DFU
• Lifestyle intervention for DFU
• Athletic therapy for DFU
• Surgical treatment for DFU
• Gut microbiota regulation therapy for DFU
• Advances in the early diagnosis and prevention of DFU
• Advances in natural hypoglycemic drugs and their potential mechanisms of action