REPURPOSING PIRACETAM IN CUTANEOUS WOUND HEALING: MECHANISTIC INSIGHTS INTO OXIDATIVE STRESS, MITOCHONDRIAL FUNCTION AND MICROCIRCULATION
Abhishek Kumar Rai, Arpit Kumar, Muskan, Ajay Kumar Pal, Aarti Kumari, Rahul Singh
Department of Pharmacy, School of Healthcare and Allied Sciences,
G.D. Goenka University, Sohna–Gurugram Road, Sohna, Haryana – 122103, India
Abstract: The nootropic drug piracetam, a cyclic derivative of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), is well known for its hemorheological, antioxidant, and neuroprotective qualities. Its possible significance in cutaneous wound healing has not gotten much attention, despite being thoroughly studied in neurological illnesses. With a focus on oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, microcirculatory impairment, and platelet-derived growth factor-β (PDGF-β) and vascular endothelium growth factor (VEGF) associated regenerative signalling, this study assesses the mechanistic justification for piracetam’s repurposing in wound healing. Excessive reactive oxygen species formation, ongoing inflammatory cytokine release, mitochondrial dysfunction, decreased tissue perfusion, and flawed cellular repair responses are all indicators of impaired wound healing. According to experimental research, piracetam reduces oxidative stress, replenishes endogenous antioxidant defences, maintains the potential of the mitochondrial membrane, inhibits pro-inflammatory mediators, and enhances microcirculation when tissue damage occurs. The cellular milieu needed for fibroblast proliferation, angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodelling, and growth factor mediated tissue repair may be improved by these pharmacological characteristics. Additionally, preliminary data from experimental burn wound models indicates that piracetam has positive effects on wound closure, collagen organization, and epithelialisation. However, there is currently little direct validation in wound-healing models, and the majority of the evidence is preclinical and indirect. All things considered, piracetam is a potential multi-target candidate for wound healing that merits additional mechanistic and translational research.
Keywords: Piracetam, wound healing, oxidative stress, inflammation, microcirculation, mitochondrial dysfunction, PDGF-β signaling.
VOLUME 10 ISSUE 07 2026: 9 – 26