Silk Fibroin Hydrogel with Recombinant Silk Fibroin/NT3 Protein Enhances Wound Healing by Promoting Type III Collagen Synthesis and Hair Follicle Regeneration in Skin Injury
June 2025
in “
Materials Today Bio
”
silk fibroin hydrogel recombinant silk fibroin/NT3 protein Type III collagen hair follicle regeneration re-epithelialization innervation vascularization Akt signaling pathway Sox2 expression collagen synthesis silk protein NT3 protein collagen hair growth skin healing nerve growth blood vessel growth cell signaling gene expression protein synthesis
TLDR A silk fibroin hydrogel boosts wound healing and hair growth by increasing collagen and hair follicles.
The study investigates a silk fibroin hydrogel combined with recombinant silk fibroin/NT3 protein (SF + SFL-NT3) that enhances wound healing and hair follicle regeneration in mice. The hydrogel, particularly at a 5% concentration, significantly accelerated wound healing by promoting Type III collagen synthesis, enhancing re-epithelialization, and improving innervation and vascularization at the wound site. It resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in Type III collagen levels and three times more new hair follicles compared to controls. The SF + SFL-NT3 hydrogel activates the Akt signaling pathway, increasing Sox2 expression, which upregulates collagen synthesis, contributing to scarless wound recovery. While promising for skin repair, further research is needed to translate these findings to human applications.
