Protein-Based Materials for Wound Healing

Skin is the largest and fastest-growing organ in the human body fulfilling a myriad of vital functions. Damage to its structure results in wounds that trigger the complex wound healing. Some wounds can be devastating, thereby needing application of a skin substitute. This chapter offers an overview of the proteins used in the design, research, and development of novel skin substitutes for effective wound healing and skin regeneration. These proteins can be present in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of tissues or the human body, or not found in the human body. Decellularized matrices will also be covered. To understand why these proteins are used in wound healing, this chapter will start with an overview of the skin, wound healing, wound types, and the dermal ECM. Finally, this chapter will offer future direction points that will lead to the development of skin substitutes able to regenerate skin, rather than simply repairing it.