Gene therapy in flap survival

Growth factors are members of a large functional group of polypeptide regulatory molecules that exert a powerful influence on all phases of wound healing and repair through interactions with specific cell surface receptors. The use of growth factors to improve wound healing and the viability of ischemic skin flaps has been well-documented throughout the last decade. In this article, we review the literature concerning the use gene therapy in flap survival, including the various methods employed to transplant plasmids or viruses capable of coding and producing growth factors in ischemic tissue.