[Clinical application of growth factors and cytokines in wound healing]

The clinical value of growth factor treatment of chronic wounds has yet to be determined. Beneficial effects have been reported so far only from specialized wound care centers where growth factors supplemented the results achieved with good wound care. In general optimization of current methods of external wound care, adequate metabolic and nutritional control and surgical measures should be employed before any adjuvant growth factor therapy is attempted. Current use of exogenously applied growth factors and cytokines appears to be reasonable only in the setting of controlled clinical studies according to the rules of "good clinical practice". With more knowledge on the biology of chronic wounds and progress in wound pharmacology the best application for these peptides will have to be reevaluated.