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Updated: May 12, 2026
Creation and Transplantation of an Adipose-derived Stem Cell ASC Sheet in a Diabetic Wound-healing Model
Published on: August 4, 2017
Identification of a novel fibroblast growth factor receptor-agonistic peptide and its effect on diabetic wound
Mariya Farooq1, Moonjung Hwang2, Abdul Waheed Khan2
1S&K Therapeutics, Ajou University Campus Plaza 418, Worldcup-ro 199, Yeongton-gu, Suwon 16502, Republic of Korea; Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon 16499, Republic of Korea.
Aims:
Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is a broad class of secretory chemicals that act via FGF receptors (FGFR). The study aims to explore the role of a novel peptide, FAP1 (FGFR-agonistic peptide 1), in tissue regeneration and repair. It investigates whether FAP1 mimics basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and accelerates wound healing both in vitro and in vivo.
Main Methods:
In this study, a novel peptide was designed and its ability to mimic bFGF was assessed through different in vitro experiments including its effect on cell proliferation, wound healing, cell signaling including FGFR1 phosphorylation and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Specificity was confirmed through surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis and co-treatment with FGFR inhibitor, erdafitinib. In vivo, the effect of FAP1 on diabetic wound healing was tested in a mouse model, examining collagen production and the migration and proliferation of keratinocytes and fibroblasts.
Key Findings:
FAP1 specifically phosphorylated FGFR and activated MAPKs similar to bFGF. In vitro, it induced cell proliferation and accelerated wound healing. In vivo, FAP1 improved diabetic wound healing by increasing collagen production and promoting keratinocyte and fibroblast migration and proliferation. The specificity of FAP1 was confirmed through SPR.
Significance:
FAP1 shows potential as a novel pharmacological alternative to natural bFGF for skin tissue regeneration and repair. Its ability to accelerate wound healing and its specificity for FGFR suggest that FAP1 could serve as a cost-effective substitute for bFGF protein in therapeutic applications.
