The evolving role of avotermin in scar prevention

Allison Nauta, Geoffrey C. Gurtner, Michael T. Longaker

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

Abstract

Scar formation is a medical problem that affects a diverse population of patients, at times leading to devastating physical and psychological consequences. In contrast to adult skin, early gestational fetal skin heals without scar formation. This discovery has led to a large field of research related to defining the factors responsible for scarless wound healing. The TGF-β superfamily has been a major focus for the field of regenerative medicine, as its three mammalian isoforms exhibit varying degrees of activity between fetal and adult skin. Avotermin is a novel human recombinant TGF-β3 protein that has been studied both in vitro and in vivo for its antiscarring properties. This article evaluates a recently published Phase II clinical trial focused on the role of avotermin as a prophylactically administered, scar-reducing biologic agent for the treatment of human incisional wounds.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)149-152
Number of pages4
JournalExpert Review of Dermatology
Volume6
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • TGF-β superfamily
  • TGF-β3
  • Wound healing
  • scar
  • skin regeneration

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Dermatology

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