Clinical application of growth factors in wound healing

Growth factors are endogenous signaling molecules that regulate cellular responses for the wound healing processes of migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Wound healing is a complex process influenced by a variety of factors. At each healing stage, a different set of specific cytokines and growth factors must interact with their receptors, other growth factors, and extracellular matrix (ECM) components at their target sites. Several studies have identified decreased levels of specific growth factors involved in the wound healing process through analysis of wound fluid. As such, growth factors have been proposed as therapeutic agents to promote wound repair. On the other hand, clinical application of growth factors might be hampered because of a short in vivo half-life due to their low stability, restricted absorption through the skin around wound lesions and elimination by proteinases present in wound exudate. Here, we review clinical efficacy of growth factors in wound healing, and elaborate new strategies to overcome above-mentioned limitations in clinical application of growth factor.