The Use of Growth Factors and Other Humoral Agents to Accelerate and Enhance Burn Wound Healing

Objective: Certain cytokines, especially those known as growth factors, have been demonstrated to mediate or modulate burn wound healing. Experimental and clinical evidence suggests that there are therapeutic advantages to the wound healing process when these agents are utilized. Positive effects have been reported for 4 types of wounds seen in the burn patient: partial-thickness wounds, full-thickness wounds, interstices of meshed skin grafts, and skin graft donor sites. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed using the MEDLINE, Ovid, and Web of Science databases to identify pertinent articles regarding growth factors and other cytokines in burns and wound healing. Results: The current knowledge about cytokine growth factors and their potential therapeutic applications in burn wound healing are discussed and reviewed. Conclusions: Platelet-derived growth factor, fibroblast growth factors, epidermal growth factors, transforming growth factor alpha, vascular endothelial growth factor, insulin-like growth factor I, nerve growth factor, transforming growth factor beta, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and amnion-derived cellular cytokine solution have all been suggested to enhance the rate and quality of healing in 1 or more of these wounds encountered in burn care.