Abstract
Traumatic injury of the oral cavity is atypical and often accompanied by uncontrolled bleeding and inflammation. Injectable hydrogels have been considered to be promising candidates for the treatment of oral injuries because of their simple formulation, minimally invasive application technique, and site-specific delivery. Fibrinogen-based hydrogels have been widely explored as effective materials for wound healing in tissue engineering due to their uniqueness. Recently, an injectable foam has taken the spotlight. However, the fibrin component of this biomaterial is relatively stiff. To address these challenges, we created keratin-conjugated fibrinogen (KRT-FIB). This study aimed to develop a novel keratin biomaterial and assess cell–biomaterial interactions. Consequently, a novel injectable KRT-FIB hydrogel was optimized through rheological measurements, and its injection performance, swelling behavior, and surface morphology were investigated. We observed an excellent cell viability, proliferation, and migration/cell–cell interaction, indicating that the novel KRT-FIB-injectable hydrogel is a promising platform for oral tissue regeneration with a high clinical applicability.
Highlights
Keratin (KRT) is an insoluble protein that forms a part of intermediate filaments in epidermal appendageal structures, hair, nails, horn, hoofs, wool, and feathers [1]
We have recently reported that human hair-derived KRT is highly attractive for wound healing therapy because of its inherent bioactivity, biocompatibility, and physical properties [6]
We developed a novel injectable keratin-conjugated fibrinogen (KRT-FIB) hydrogel (KFH) for oral tissue regeneration (Figure 1)
Summary
Keratin (KRT) is an insoluble protein that forms a part of intermediate filaments in epidermal appendageal structures, hair, nails, horn, hoofs, wool, and feathers [1]. We have recently reported that human hair-derived KRT is highly attractive for wound healing therapy because of its inherent bioactivity, biocompatibility, and physical properties [6]. Despite these advantages, previous KRT-based hydrogel studies are only limited to woolor feather-based KRT proteins [7]. Hydrogels based on human hair-derived KRTs, especially injectable platforms, have never been studied for oral tissue regeneration
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