The long-term objective of this project is to develop a therapy to accelerate healing, using basic and/or acidic fibroblast growth factor (FGF) produced by recombinant means. Both of these factors promote new blood vessel growth (angiogenesis), which requires capillary endothelial cell proliferation and migration. Since basic and acidic FGF are mitogenic as well as chemotactic for these cells, the two factors appear to be direct mediators of angiogenesis. Application of these factors might therefore aid in the treatment of the poor healing often associated with deficient re-vascularization (e.g., in extensive burns). Since the two factors are also chemotactic and mitogenic for other cells (such as fibroblasts) involved in wound healing, the factors may serve to promote wound healing in general, an idea supported by results in the literature. During Phase I of the project, the human genes for basic and acidic FGF were cloned, and biologically-active basic FGF was expressed in bacteria. During Phase II, the bacterial expression system will be optimized, and large-scale purification will be undertaken. Recombinant expression of acidic FGF will also be attempted. Finally, the purified recombinant products will be tested for efficacy in both wound-chamber and tensile-strength wound healing models in rats.
