Not just skin deep: cosmetic and medical applications of injectable hyaluronan and fibrin

Abstract

Hyaluronan (HA) and fibrin are well-suited injectable scaffold materials for medical, scientific, and cosmetic applications. Unlike synthetic polymers, the building blocks of these naturally derived substances are proteins or carbohydrates that are familiar to cells. Both HA and fibrin have had extensive use in clinical situations, either alone or in combination with other materials to tune the therapy to the application. The ease in which they can be administered in injectable form allows for maximum efficacy while minimising invasiveness. The excellent biocompatibility of these substances allows for their incorporation into a variety of applications. Hyaluronan is currently used extensively as a dermal filler in cosmetic applications, as an injectable joint lubricant, and as a potential drug delivery system. Fibrin has been used for years as a surgical sealant, but the properties that suit it to this use have also made it an attractive choice for regenerative medical therapies. Research into the incorporation of both materials into new areas of therapeutics is continuing and their success as a suitable microenvironment for cell viability gives them a ‘home field advantage’ over other synthetic materials. With so many promising applications being studied, fibrin and HA will continue to play a major role in medicine in the future.