TLDR Recombinant human hair keratin proteins can effectively stop bleeding.
The study investigated the haemostatic potential of recombinant human hair keratin proteins, K37 and K81, expressed in E. coli, which showed higher purity than traditional keratin extracts. These proteins enhanced fibrin clot formation and reduced bleeding time and blood loss in rat models of liver puncture and femoral artery injury. The keratins were rich in α-helix structures and participated in both intrinsic and extrinsic blood coagulation pathways, significantly shortening clot formation time. This research suggested a new strategy for designing keratin biomaterials for haemostasis, addressing previous challenges with keratin extracts.
13 citations,
July 2017 in “Biopolymers” Recombinant keratins can form useful structures for medical applications, overcoming natural keratin limitations.
118 citations,
January 2013 in “Biomaterials” Keratin from human hair shows promise for medical uses like wound healing and tissue engineering.
47 citations,
September 2011 in “Acta biomaterialia” Protein composition greatly affects the function of keratin biomaterials.
517 citations,
February 2010 in “Materials” Keratin from hair and wool is used in medical materials for healing and drug delivery.
309 citations,
October 2007 in “Biomaterials” Keratin from human hair helps nerves heal faster.
Keratin hydrogels from human hair show promise for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
2 citations,
April 2021 in “FEBS open bio” Human hair keratins K85 and K35 create unique filament patterns important for early hair formation.
Human hair keratins can self-assemble and support cell growth, useful for biomedical applications.
87 citations,
July 2009 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” Human beard hair medulla contains a unique and complex mix of keratins not found in other human tissues.
54 citations,
November 2015 in “Methods in enzymology on CD-ROM/Methods in enzymology” Keratins are important for skin cell health and their problems can cause diseases.