In vivo characterization of keratinocyte growth factor-2 as a potential wound healing agent

Human keratinocyte growth factor-2 exerts a proliferative effect on epithel ial cells and mediates keratinocyte migration. It has also been shown to in crease both deposition of granulation tissue and collagen and maturation of collagen. Because these properties should affect the healing trajectory of wounds, this study set out to investigate the effects of keratinocyte grow th factor-2 on the healing of three different types of wounds. Human meshed skin grafts explanted to athymic "nude" rats, surgical incisions in Spragu e-Dawley rats, and acute excisional rat wounds inoculated with Escherichia coil were used. Two concentrations of recombinant human keratinocyte growth factor-2 were compared to a vehicle control and keratinocyte growth factor -1. Keratinocyte growth factor-2 significantly accelerated the rate of epit helialization in the meshed skin graft model and effected a modestly more r apid gain in breaking strength of surgical incisions than keratinocyte grow th factor-1 or the vehicle control treatment. Neither keratinocyte growth f actors accelerated wound closure by contraction of the excisional wounds. B ased on these data, keratinocyte growth factor-2 may be useful in accelerat ing healing in wounds healing mainly by the process of epithelialization su ch as venous stasis ulcers, partial thickness burn wounds, and skin graft d onor sites. It might also accelerate the gain in incisional wound strength in acute surgical or traumatic wounds.