Growth factors in wound healing, wounds, ulcers, bedsores, non healing wounds, chronic wounds, injuries, dressings, Plermin, Becaplermin, Regranex gel, fast wound healing, Dr Alexander, plastic surgeon, cosmetic surgeon, Cochin, India +

The wound healing processes at the cellular level and molecular level is extremely complicated and we are still learning about the growth factors; our knowledge about them is limited. Here are few examples of growth factors.

: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEgF)
: Tranforming growth factor β (TGF β)
: Epidermal growth factor (EGF)
: Insulin like growth factor (Ig F-1)
: Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)
: Platelet derived growth factor (PGF)
: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α)

Growth factors are basically proteins but the body uses them to signal various activities like getting the ‘worker cells’ and ‘specialist cells’ to reach the wound site, encourage cells to start multiplying at the site (epithelisation), increase the blood flow by new blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) and stimulate fibroblast and other cells to repair the damaged area by collagen and ground substance formation. Their commercial production and use is still experimental and the first growth factor to reach the market is the platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) (regranex gel) (Becaplermin) developed by Johnson and Johnson. 

The wounds shown below are complex wounds and need a host of methods to heal them- both medical and surgical.

 We need to develop a whole array of growth factors and see how effectively they will help in wound healing. I think it will take sometime till we are able to use growth factors on a regular basis effectively. For wounds that fail to heal and in patients who may not be good candidates for surgery or those having may other medical problems or comorbidities and those unfit for surgery, it is worthwhile to try out these growth factor products in the market. As more and more growth factors are discovered and marketed I hope that the price will also come down so that it becomes more affordable and that we can use it more frequently in wound management to initiate faster healing. At the same time our medical researchers need to find out how we can stimulate and promote the body to send more growth factors to the wound site (on a personal note we could call these modulators as growth factor promoter or GFP). This will then obviate the need to add external growth factors itself.