Collagen and collagen-glycosaminoglycan matrices as carriers for growth factors

摘要

Tissue engineering is an emerging interdisciplinary field that applies the principles of engineeting to the life sciences, with the aim of developing biological substitutes that restore, maintain or improve tissue function. In this process, extracellular matrix, cells and regulatory signals are important in guiding, modulating and facilitating regenerative events. Cellular activities are regulated by a large number of polypeptides which behave as growth modulating factors. Such growth factorr can either stimulate or inhibit cell division, differentiation, migration or expression. The effects of such factorr are cell type-dependent and can vary with the frequency and way of administration. As we increase our understanding of growth factor functions and their clinical applications, the need for useful pharmaceutical forms becomes more apparent. Growth factor targeting to responsive cells and maintenance of adequate tissue levels becomes essential, particularly in view of their sometimes opposite effects on various cells and the dose dependence of their response. The extracellular matrix provides a scaffold for cell growth, differentiation and may help to eventually regenerate tissues. Since collagen is a major constituent of extracellular matrices and connective tissues, its use in designing a synthetic matrix becomes of special interest. .When growth factors contain collagen-binding domains, they can be targeted to collagen matrices, their activities localized, and together with the collagen matrix, synergistically affect the biological activities of cells. Therefore, collag