TLDR Human hair keratin hydrogels show promise for use in regenerative medicine.
Regenerative medicine (RM) uses the regenerative potential of human cells to create functional human cells, tissues, and organs. A key component of RM is a biomaterial scaffold with the right physicochemical properties. Hydrogels, which can be made from synthetic polymers or biopolymers, have become a popular choice for tissue engineering and RM applications. They can be used as scaffolds for spatial patterning, delivering therapeutic agents, or substrates to enhance cell growth, differentiation, and migration. Biopolymers are preferred for their biocompatibility. Keratins, fibrous proteins, have recently been used to construct hydrogels for RM. This review focuses on the use of human hair keratin hydrogels in various RM applications.
Cited in this study
9 / 9 results
41 citations
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November 2020 in “Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces” Different hair protein amounts change the strength of keratin/chitosan gels, useful for making predictable tissue engineering materials.
13 citations
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July 2017 in “Biopolymers” Recombinant keratins can form useful structures for medical applications, overcoming natural keratin limitations.
75 citations
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September 2015 in “Acta biomaterialia” Alkylation of human hair keratin allows for adjustable drug release rates in hydrogels for medical use.
7 citations
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March 2014 in “ISRN Biomaterials” Keratin hydrogel from human hair helps rats recover better from spinal cord injuries.
12 citations
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January 2014 in “Cell structure and function” Different combinations of human hair keratins affect how hair fibers form.
140 citations
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November 2011 in “Biomaterials” Keratose, derived from human hair, is a non-toxic biomaterial good for tissue regeneration and integrates well with body tissues.
99 citations
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June 2011 in “Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A” Keratin hydrogels can slowly release effective ciprofloxacin to prevent infections.
517 citations
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February 2010 in “Materials” Keratin from hair and wool is used in medical materials for healing and drug delivery.
309 citations
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January 2008 in “Biomaterials” Keratin from human hair helps nerves heal faster.
