Eugene Strandness Keynote: Frontiers in Venous Leg Ulcer Research

Metabolomics and Biomarkers

This year’s Eugene Strandness keynote lecture reviewed metabolic profiling techniques
that identify biochemical signatures in wound fluid, which can help distinguish healing
from non-healing venous leg ulcers in real time and may eventually personalize
treatment.

Cellular Senescence and Cardiovascular Risk

The lecture highlighted cellular senescence in endothelial cells and fibroblasts as a
possible driver of venous disease progression, and pointed to emerging data showing that
patients with skin changes from venous disease have significantly higher cardiovascular
morbidity and all-cause mortality than matched controls, raising the question of whether
venous patients should be screened for cardiovascular risk.

Closing the Translation Gap

Despite clinical guidelines, community recurrence rates for venous leg ulcers reach up
to 70%, and guideline-adherent care varies widely by region, with links to socioeconomic
deprivation. The speaker proposed platform trials, which share a single control group
across multiple interventions, and integrated wound hubs combining clinical care,
biobanking, and biomarker research to accelerate translation into practice.