Abstract
Evaluation of: Bush J, Duncan JA, Bond JS et al. Scar-improving efficacy of avotermin administered into the wound margins of skin incisions evaluated by a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase II clinical trial. Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 126(5), 1604–1615 (2010).
Scar formation is a medical problem that affects a diverse population of patients, at times leading to devastating physical and psychological consequences. In contrast to adult skin, early gestational fetal skin heals without scar formation. This discovery has led to a large field of research related to defining the factors responsible for scarless wound healing. The TGF-β superfamily has been a major focus for the field of regenerative medicine, as its three mammalian isoforms exhibit varying degrees of activity between fetal and adult skin. Avotermin is a novel human recombinant TGF-β3 protein that has been studied both in vitro and in vivo for its antiscarring properties. This article evaluates a recently published Phase II clinical trial focused on the role of avotermin as a prophylactically administered, scar-reducing biologic agent for the treatment of human incisional wounds.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.