An ideal preparation for dermal regeneration: Skin renewal growth factors, the growth factor composites from porcine platelets

The use of growth factor composites from platelets has been introduced to many areas of clinical applications and studies. With the richest source of growth factors (GFs), beneficial effects have been shown on tissue regeneration and wound healing. However, animal and clinical studies have revealed inconsistent outcomes with the use of platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs), which were likely due to variations in the presence and concentrations of GFs between various sources. Autologous PDGFs are considered to be safer, but they are limited by the feasibility of large-scale production to be used extensively in the acute phase, greater surface area, or general cosmetic applications. This study employed a simple process to obtain growth factor composites from activated platelets of porcine origin, namely skin renewal growth factors (SRGF). The functions of SRGF were subsequently evaluated on cultured human fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and melanocytes. Our data revealed that SRGF significantly promoted the proliferation of fibroblasts, accompanied by increased expression of collagens (types I, III, IV, and VIII) and proteoglycans. Diminished proliferation and arrested differentiation of keratinocytes were evidenced by the attenuated expression of laminin V and keratin 10. In addition, SRGF also suppressed the growth of melanocytes and reduced the expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase, and paired box 3 (PAX3), which mediates melanogensis. Our results suggest that SRGF possesses beneficial properties and is a promising and cost-effective composition for the development of a safe cosmetic agent or topical products for skin regeneration. The development of SRGF may also provide an alternative strategy for tissue engineering.