Year: 2015
Type: article
Abstract: Growth factors have enormous clinical potential as they orchestrate all repair and regenerative processes in the body. However, their half-lives in vivo when applied alone are very short, on the order of minutes to hours. Therefore, large doses and multiple applications are necessary which is expensive and raises safety concerns considering their potency. To address this issue we developed a coacervate delivery system which protects growth factors from degradation and sustains and localizes their release at the site of injection. By imitating the native signaling environment involving ligands, proteoglycans, and cell receptors our delivery vehicle also enhances growth factor bioactivity, enabling the use of minute and clinically-safe dosages. This dissertation describes the translational potential of this growth factor therapy to address three significant clinical needs: 1) Diabetic wound healing, 2) Cardiac repair following myocardial infarction, 3) Bone regeneration for congenital defects and trauma.
Author: Noah R. Johnson
Language: English
Topic: Wound Healing and Treatments
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2342021429