Hair keratin promotes wound healing in rats with combined radiation-wound injury

Keratins derived from human hair have been suggested to be particularly effective in general surgical wound healing. However, the healing of a combined radiation-wound injury is a multifaceted regenerative process. Here, hydrogels fabricated with human hair keratins were used to test the wound healing effects on rats suffering from combined radiation-wound injuries. Briefly, the keratin extracts were verified by dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis and amino acid analysis, and the keratin hydrogels were then characterized by morphological observation, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis and rheology analyses. The results of the cell viability assay indicated that the keratin hydrogels could enhance cell growth after radiation exposure. Furthermore, keratin hydrogels could accelerate wound repair and improve the survival rate in vivo. The results demonstrate that keratin hydrogels possess a strong ability to accelerate the repair of a combined radiation-wound injury, which opens up new tissue regeneration applications for keratins.