The effect of Stromal cell Derived Factor-1 (SDF-1) and collagen-GAG (Glycosaminoglycan) scaffold on skin wound healing

Wound healing is an intricate biological process requiring the appropriate balance of matrix and growth factors. Apart from causing physical deformity, adult wound healing results in the formation of scar tissue, which can hinder functionality and mobility due to excessive wound contraction. Wound care is a significant clinical problem for chronic wounds (eg. diabetic ulcers), acute injuries (eg. burns) and in elective surgeries (eg. scar revision). With an overall annual cost of $16 - 22 billion, wounds severely burden the U.S. healthcare system, and are the fastest growing area in the medical sector. Thus, the goal of promoting faster healing with "scar-less" wound resolution remains unchanged. Skin substitutes, such as IntegraTM and AllodermTM, have been developed to treat chronic wounds and extensive burns. However, they are susceptible to infection, prone to shearing and exhibit poor biodegradation. These limitations could potentially be overcome by expediting blood vessel growth which would promote a more rapid integration of the skin substitute with the surrounding tissue. Experimental evidence also suggests that down-regulating inflammatory cells and up-regulating stem cells and progenitors cells would yield less scar formation. But, these therapies require an expensive isolation and culturing process from the patient's bone marrow. Additional risks include immune rejection concerns, limited shelf-life and stringent storage requirements. To meet this need, a stem cell-attractant and inflammatory cell-repellant chemokine, Stromal cell Derived Factor-1 (SDF-1) was incorporated into a highly porous collagen-glycosamino-glycan (GAG) matrix (skin substitute). The hypothesis is that this enhanced skin substitute would expedite wound healing and decrease abnormal scarring by a mechanism where stem cells from the patient's circulation would be attracted to the wound site while inflammatory cells would be repelled.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Sarkar, Aparajita

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Robert S. Langer, Ioannis V. Yannas and Franc̦ois Berthiaume.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/45215

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/45215