Development Of Granulation Tissue Mimetic Scaffolds For Skin Healing
Abstract
Impaired skin healing is a significant and growing clinical concern, particularly in relation to diabetes, venous insufficiency and immobility. Previously, we developed electrospun scaffolds for the delivery of periostin (POSTN) and connective tissue growth factor 2 (CCN2), matricellular proteins involved in the proliferative phase of healing. This study aimed to design and validate a novel electrosprayed coaxial microsphere for the encapsulation of fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9), as a component of the POSTN/CCN2 scaffold, to promote angiogenic stability during wound healing. For the first time, we observed a pro-proliferative effect of FGF9 on human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) in vitro, indicating a potential cellular mechanism of action during wound healing. POSTN/CCN2 scaffolds containing encapsulated FGF9 decreased wound diameter, with no negative or adverse effects at day 7, in a porcine model of acute cutaneous wound healing. Future work is required to investigate the effect of the POSTN/CCN2/FGF9 scaffold during impaired healing.