TLDR A new film made from human hair supports skin cell growth better than collagen.
The study successfully developed a mechanically stable film using extracted keratins from human hair. The keratin film was created through solution casting and air-drying at room temperature, without the need for crosslinkers or plasticizers. The film exhibited a Young’s modulus of 1.05 ± 0.09 GPa when dry and was highly stretchable at 179 ± 17% strain at break when wet. The keratin film also showed positive cellular responses when human epidermal keratinocytes (HEKs) were cultured on it, indicating enhanced cell proliferation, viability, keratin 14 expression, and IL-1α secretion, compared to collagen I. This suggests that the keratin film could be a promising platform for cell culture applications.
7 citations,
December 2020 in “ACS biomaterials science & engineering” Human hair keratins can form stable nanofiber networks that might help in tissue regeneration.
115 citations,
August 2014 in “Jo'jig gonghag gwa jaesaeng uihag/Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine” Human hair keratin can be used in many medical applications.
517 citations,
February 2010 in “Materials” Keratin from hair and wool is used in medical materials for healing and drug delivery.
Human hair keratins can self-assemble and support cell growth, useful for biomedical applications.
30 citations,
March 2017 in “ACS biomaterials science & engineering” Hair follicles are valuable for regenerative medicine and wound healing.
7 citations,
July 2008 in “Experimental Dermatology” The study concluded that a protein important for hair strength is regulated by certain molecular processes and is affected by growth phases.
115 citations,
August 2014 in “Jo'jig gonghag gwa jaesaeng uihag/Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine” Human hair keratin can be used in many medical applications.
28 citations,
September 2015 in “Wiener Klinische Wochenschrift” New skin substitutes for treating severe burns and chronic wounds are being developed, but a permanent solution for deep wounds is not yet available commercially.
