Histological Evaluation of Hair Keratin Based Templates in Mice

The study evaluated human hair keratin-based templates in mice using histological techniques to assess their biocompatibility for potential biomedical applications. Two types of keratin templates, gel and sponge, were compared to a commercial collagen control. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunoperoxidase staining were used to analyze tissue integration, vascularization, cell penetration, degradation, inflammation, and ECM formation. Results indicated that keratin gels had slightly inferior biocompatibility compared to the control, while keratin sponges showed comparable biocompatibility. Although the findings were not conclusive, they suggested that keratin has potential in biomedical applications, warranting further research.