Foot ulcers are a common complication from diabetes than can lead to hospitalization and lower limb amputation. In 2006, about 65,700 non-traumatic lower-limb amputations were performed in people with diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Up to 85 percent of amputations can be avoided when ulcers are prevented from forming or are treated successfully, said one of the study's authors, Francesco Squadrito, MD, of the University of Messina in Gazzi Messina, Italy.

"Foot ulcers are a dangerous and expensive complication for people with diabetes, and current treatments such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy are costly and can have side effects," Squadrito said. "Our study showed for the first time that a pharmacological approach can improve wound healing in people with diabetes."