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Updated: Dec 25, 2025

Synthesis of Keratin-based Nanofiber for Biomedical Engineering
Published on: February 7, 2016
Keratinous materials: Structures and functions in biomedical applications
Mina Rajabi1, Azam Ali1, Michelle McConnell2
1Center for Bioengineering and Nanomedicine, Department of Food Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Abstract:
Keratins are a family of fibrous proteins anticipated to possess wide-ranging biomedical applications due to their abundance, physicochemical properties and intrinsic biological activity. This review mainly focuses on the biomaterials derived from three major sources of keratins; namely human hair, wool and feather, that have effective applications in tissue engineering, wound healing and drug delivery. This article offers five viewpoints regarding keratin i) an introduction to keratin protein extraction and keratin-based scaffold fabrication methods ii) applications in nerve and bone tissue engineering iii) a review on the keratin dressings applied to different types of wounds to facilitate wound healing and thereby repair the skin iv) the utilization of keratinous materials as a carrier system for therapeutics with a controlled manner v) a discussion regarding the main challenges for using keratin in biomedical applications as well as its future prospects.
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