Clinical application of growth factors and cytokines in wound therapy

The clinical value of growth factor treatment of chronic wounds has yet to be determined. Beneficial effects have been reported so far only from speci alized wound care centers where growth factors supplemented the results ach ieved with good wound care. In general optimization of current methods of e xternal wound care, adequate metabolic and nutritional control and surgical measures should be employed before any adjuvant growth factor therapy is a ttempted. Current use of exogenously applied growth factors and cytokines a ppears to be reasonable only in the setting of controlled clinical studies according to the rules of "good clinical practice". With more knowledge on the biology of chronic wounds and progress in wound pharmacology the best a pplication for these peptides will have to be reevaluated.