Browsing by Subject "Epithelization"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Open Access
Angiogenic heparin-mimetic peptide nanofiber gel improves regenerative healing of acute wounds
(American Chemical Society, 2017) Uzunalli, G.; Mammadov R.; Yesildal, F.; Alhan, D.; Ozturk, S.; Ozgurtas, T.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, A. B.
Wound repair in adult mammals typically ends with the formation of a scar, which prevents full restoration of the function of the healthy tissue, although most of the wounded skin heals. Rapid and functional recovery of major wound injuries requires therapeutic approaches that can enhance the healing process via overcoming mechanical and biochemical problems. In this study, we showed that self-assembled heparin-mimetic peptide nanofiber gel was an effective bioactive wound dressing for the rapid and functional repair of full-thickness excisional wounds in the rat model. The bioactive gel-treated wounds exhibited increased angiogenesis (p < 0.05), re-epithelization (p < 0.05), skin appendage formation, and granulation tissue organization (p < 0.05) compared to sucrose-treated samples. Increased blood vessel numbers in the gel-treated wounds on day 7 suggest that angiogenesis played a key role in improvement of tissue healing in bioactive gel-treated wounds. Overall, the angiogenic heparin-mimetic peptide nanofiber gel is a promising platform for enhancing the scar-free recovery of acute wounds.
Open Access
Angiogenic peptide nanofibers improve wound healing in STZ-induced diabetic rats
(American Chemical Society, 2016-06) Senturk, B.; Mercan, S.; Delibasi, T.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, A. B.
Low expressions of angiogenic growth factors delay the healing of diabetic wounds by interfering with the process of blood vessel formation. Heparin mimetic peptide nanofibers can bind to and enhance production and activity of major angiogenic growth factors, including VEGF. In this study, we showed that heparin mimetic peptide nanofibers can serve as angiogenic scaffolds that allow slow release of growth factors and protect them from degradation, providing a new therapeutic way to accelerate healing of diabetic wounds. We treated wounds in STZ-induced diabetic rats with heparin mimetic peptide nanofibers and studied repair of full-thickness diabetic skin wounds. Wound recovery was quantified by analyses of re-epithelialization, granulation tissue formation and blood vessel density, as well as VEGF and inflammatory response measurements. Wound closure and granulation tissue formation were found to be significantly accelerated in heparin mimetic gel treated groups. In addition, blood vessel counts and the expressions of alpha smooth muscle actin and VEGF were significantly higher in bioactive gel treated animals. These results strongly suggest that angiogenic heparin mimetic nanofiber therapy can be used to support the impaired healing process in diabetic wounds.
Open Access
Heparin mimetic peptide nanofiber gel promotes regeneration of full thickness burn injury
(Elsevier Ltd, 2017) Yergoz, F.; Hastar, N.; Cimenci, C. E.; Ozkan, A. D.; Güler, Mustafa O.; Tekinay, A. B.; Tekinay, T.; Güler, Mustafa O.
Burn injuries are one of the most common types of trauma worldwide, and their unique physiology requires the development of specialized therapeutic materials for their treatment. Here, we report the use of synthetic, functional and biodegradable peptide nanofiber gels for the improved healing of burn wounds to alleviate the progressive loss of tissue function at the post-burn wound site. These bioactive nanofiber gels form scaffolds that recapitulate the structure and function of the native extracellular matrix through signaling peptide epitopes, which can trigger angiogenesis through their affinity to basic growth factors. In this study, the angiogenesis-promoting properties of the bioactive scaffolds were utilized for the treatment of a thermal burn model. Following the excision of necrotic tissue, bioactive gels and control solutions were applied topically onto the wound area. The wound healing process was evaluated at 7, 14 and 21 days following injury through histological observations, immunostaining and marker RNA/protein analysis. Bioactive peptide nanofiber-treated burn wounds formed well-organized and collagen-rich granulation tissue layers, produced a greater density of newly formed blood vessels, and exhibited increased re-epithelialization and skin appendage development with minimal crust formation, while non-bioactive peptide nanofibers and the commercial wound dressing 3M™ Tegaderm™ did not exhibit significant efficiency over sucrose controls. Overall, the heparin-mimetic peptide nanofiber gels increased the rate of repair of burn injuries and can be used as an effective means of facilitating wound healing.