Degradation of human hair keratin scaffold material used to repair injured skeletal muscles of rabbits

The study investigated the degradation mechanism of human hair keratin (HHK) scaffold material in injured skeletal muscles of six New Zealand rabbits. The HHK material, with varying degradation speeds, was implanted in the rabbits and observed over 1, 3, and 6 weeks. Results showed that the HHK material degraded into particles, which were phagocytosed by macrophagocytes and multinucleate giant cells. The degradation process involved the ubiquitin system, with enzymatic histochemistry indicating positive results for these cells at the first week. By the sixth week, further degradation of the HHK material was observed. The study concluded that the HHK scaffold material was primarily degraded through the ubiquitin system, with lysosomes aiding in the breakdown of the resultant particles.