SCELSE research reveals non-antibiotic strategy to help diabetic wounds heal

Published in Science Advances, the study highlights a new non-antibiotic strategy to combat chronic wound infections linked to diabetes

Prof Kline_Dr Aaron Tan_Assoc Prof Thibault

(L-R): SCELSE Visiting Academic & University of Geneva Professor Kimberly Kline, SCELSE-NTU research fellow Dr Aaron Tan Ming Zhi and NTU Associate Professor Guillaume Thibault.

In the Media, Featured

20 Jan 2026

SCELSE’s research, featured in Straits Times, points to new strategies to reduce the risks of wound infection, such as foot amputations, by helping chronic wounds heal.

The study shows that Enterococcus faecalis, a bacterium commonly found in diabetic foot ulcers, actively prevents wound healing by generating oxidative stress that paralyses skin repair cells. Instead of trying to kill the bacteria with antibiotics, the team neutralised this damage using catalase, an antioxidant enzyme, restoring skin cell migration and wound closure.

“The bacteria’s metabolism itself is the weapon. By neutralising the oxidative stress it produces, we can restore the skin’s natural ability to heal,” said Dr Aaron Tan Ming Zhi, SCELSE Research Fellow and first author.

“This work shifts the focus from killing bacteria to disarming them, which is increasingly important as antibiotic resistance continues to rise,” said Prof Kimberly Kline, SCELSE Visiting Academic and University of Geneva Professor.

Published in Science Advances, in collaboration with Assoc Prof Guillaume Thibault of NTU School of Biological Sciences, the findings pave the way for future clinical studies using catalase-infused wound dressings, offering a non-antibiotic approach to tackling chronic infections and supporting wound healing.