Hair keratin promotes wound healing in rats with combined radiation-wound injury

Human hair keratins (HHK) are known for their biocompatibility and potential to regulate cell response, possibly due to the presence of the leucine‐aspartic‐valine cell adhesion and signaling motifs. Together with the abundance of cysteine residues in HHK, 3D HHK scaffolds are fabricated through cryogelation based on spontaneous disulfide crosslinks and noncovalent interactions. Herein, the molecular mechanism of HHK self‐assembly during cryogelation is interrogated and the influence of cryogelation parameters on the properties of the resultant scaffolds is studied. With successive freeze–thaw cycles, the storage modulus (G′) of HHK cryogels substantially improves from 116.4 Pa at freeze–thaw cycle 3 (FT3) to 1908.7 Pa at freeze–thaw cycle 10 (FT10). Meanwhile, it is found that complete thiol‐capping of HHK samples significantly inhibits cryogel formation as compared to partially or uncapped HHK samples, suggesting the dominant role of disulfide stabilization in cryogelation. Finally, uniaxial compression tests on HHK sponges demonstrate that FT cycling, from 0 to 10, is able to improve the compression modulus of sponges by ≈12‐folds. These findings show that macroscale properties of HHK cryogels can be conveniently modulated by physical parameters of cryogelation and that disulfide bonding is the main stabilizing force in HHK cryogels.

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“…demonstrated accelerated healing and improved the survivability of rats suffering from radiation‐induced injury. [ 15 ]…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Cryogelation of Human Hair Keratins

Chua

Zhao

2020

Macromol. Rapid Commun.

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“…al. [98] examined hydrogels containing keratin extracted from the human hair, as a potential biomaterial useful in the treatment of irradiated full-thickness skin wounds. In vitro studies performed on HaCaT keratinocytes irradiated with 5 Gy of gamma radiation showed that, after 48 h, cell viability was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the keratin irradiated (K + IR) group (~120%) compared to the non-keratin irradiated (IR) group (~60%).…”

Section: Biomedical Propertied Of Keratin Biomaterialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Keratin Biomaterials in Skin Wound Healing, an Old Player in Modern Medicine: A Mini Review

2021

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Impaired wound healing is a major medical problem. To solve it, researchers around the world have turned their attention to the use of tissue-engineered products to aid in skin regeneration in case of acute and chronic wounds. One of the primary goals of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is to develop a matrix or scaffold system that mimics the structure and function of native tissue. Keratin biomaterials derived from wool, hair, and bristle have been the subjects of active research in the context of tissue regeneration for over a decade. Keratin derivatives, which can be either soluble or insoluble, are utilized as wound dressings since keratins are dynamically up-regulated and needed in skin wound healing. Tissue biocompatibility, biodegradability, mechanical durability, and natural abundance are only a few of the keratin biomaterials’ properties, making them excellent wound dressing materials to treat acute and chronic wounds. Several experimental and pre-clinical studies described the beneficial effects of the keratin-based wound dressing in faster wound healing. This review focuses exclusively on the biomedical application of a different type of keratin biomaterials as a wound dressing in pre-clinical and clinical conditions.

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“…Keratin, on the other hand, can help to promote increasing hemostatic speed by hastening plasma coagulation and increasing the lateral growth of fibrils. On the other hand, keratin's ability to promote attachment, proliferation, and produce collagen of fibroblasts, may also aid wound healing 21 . Non-toxic wound dressings that can increase cell proliferation are ideal.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrospun non-wovens potential wound dressing material based on polyacrylonitrile/chicken feathers keratin nanofiber

Serag

El-Aziz

El‐Maghraby

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Electrospinning nanofibers have a tremendous interest in biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, drug administration, and wound healing because of their ability to replicate and restore the function of the natural extracellular matrix found in tissues. The study’s highlight is the electrospinning preparation and characterization of polyacrylonitrile with chicken feather keratin as an additive. In this study, keratin was extracted from chicken feather waste using an environmentally friendly method and used to reinforce polymeric nanofiber mats. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine the morphology and the structure of the prepared nanofiber mats. The effect of keratin on the porosity and the tensile strength of reinforcing nanofibers is investigated. The porosity ratio of the nanofiber mats goes up from 24.52 ± 2.12 for blank polyacrylonitrile (PAN (NF)) to 90.89 ± 1.91% for polyacrylonitrile nanofiber with 0.05 wt% keratin (PAN/0.05% K). Furthermore, keratin reinforcement improves the nanofiber's mechanical properties, which are important for wound dressing application, as well as its antibacterial activity without causing hemolysis (less than 2%). The best antibacterial activities were observed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (30 ± 0.17 mm inhibition zone) and Staphylococcus aureus (29 ± 0.31 mm inhibition zone) for PAN/0.05% K sample, according to the antibacterial test. This research has a good potential to broaden the use of feather keratin-based nanofibers in wound healing.

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Hair keratin promotes wound healing in rats with combined radiation-wound injury

Cited by 16 publications

References 24 publications

Cryogelation of Human Hair Keratins

Cryogelation of Human Hair Keratins

Keratin Biomaterials in Skin Wound Healing, an Old Player in Modern Medicine: A Mini Review

Electrospun non-wovens potential wound dressing material based on polyacrylonitrile/chicken feathers keratin nanofiber

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