Evaluating the Effect of Migration Stimulating Factor on Wound Healing Behavior at the Cellular Level Using Nano-Biomedical Technologies

Wound healing involves the stringent spatial and temporal coordination of several processes including directional cell migration (chemotaxis), the extracellular matrix remodeling, and the angiogenesis. Normal wound healing has long been recognised to be coordinated by the soluble regulatory molecules and the insoluble extracellular matrix. Biological growth factors tested as wound care therapies include proteins and analogues that may function as wound healing cytokines, including epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), an angiotensin analog, and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). However, all the above growth factors are applied at relatively high concentrations (micrograms per gram) over extended periods of time. Recently, migration stimulating factor (MSF) is a naturally occurring protein that is present in normal foetal tissues, where MSF is an exceptionally potent regulator of the wound healing process, stimulating cell migration, remodelling of the tissue matrix and angiogenesis at very low concentrations (picograms per millilitre), without affecting cell proliferation. The project will present evaluating the effect of migration stimulating factor on wound healing behavior at the cellular level using nano-biomedical technologies. In addition, we will propose a novel design of micro-scale surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) system to probe cellular response due to the presence of MSF. This project will primarily focus on four specific aims, and we will outline them briefly: Aim 1: Construction of micro-scale surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) system; Aim 2: Using SERS system to probe cellular response due to the presence of MSF, Aim 3: The effect of Au-MSF on cellular response and directional cell migration, and Aim 4: Probing the distribution of Au-MSF distribution within the single living cell and the corresponding Raman spectra. We anticipate the proposed approach based on nano-biomedical technologies, together with the platform at single-cell level could be applied to build a methodology for wound healing behavior at the cellular level and provide practical support about bioactivity and dosimitry of MSF for further animal model studies.