Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 10-4-2018 12:30 PM Development Of Granulation Tissue Mimetic Scaffolds For Skin Healing Adam Hopfgartner The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Hamilton, Douglas W. The University of Western Ontario Co-Supervisor Pickering, J. Geoffrey. The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Master of Engineering Science © Adam Hopfgartner 2018 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Biomaterials Commons, and the Molecular, Cellular, and Tissue Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Hopfgartner, Adam, "Development Of Granulation Tissue Mimetic Scaffolds For Skin Healing" (2018). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 5767. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/5767 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Abstract Impaired skin healing is a significant and growing clinical concern, particularly in relation to diabetes, venous insufficiency and immobility. Previously, we developed electrospun scaffolds for the delivery of periostin (POSTN) and connective tissue growth factor 2 (CCN2), matricellular proteins involved in the proliferative phase of healing. This study aimed to design and validate a novel electrosprayed coaxial microsphere for the encapsulation of fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9), as a component of the POSTN/CCN2 scaffold, to promote angiogenic stability during wound healing. For the first time, we observed a pro-proliferative effect of FGF9 on human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) in vitro, indicating a potential cellular mechanism of action during wound healing.