4. Conclusion
In this study, RHC we constructed has a better effect on promoting cell adhesion. Simultaneously, we have successfully achieved the desire to produce RHC on a large scale. Compared with NIH/3T3 cells cultured on RHC or EGF alone, cells on RHC/EGF exhibited better adhesion, viability, and migration characteristics. This result indicated that the combination of both EGF and RHC has a synergistic effect. Observed by scanning electron microscopy, the RHC/EGF dressings we obtained by freeze-drying are more like natural collagen fibrous structure than the RHC dressing alone. Consequently, we investigated its potential application in wound healing and repair. In full-thickness skin defect SD rats model in vivo , we found that application of an RHC /EGF freeze-dried dressing could accelerate wound healing and repair compared with RHC, EGF or the control wound treatment. This repair manifested as upregulated expression of angiogenesis biomarkers VEGF and CD31 as well as cell proliferation-specific proteins Ki67 and PCNA. Collectively, these results support the therapeutic value of RHC freeze-dried dressing as a topical biomaterial dressing and EGF biocarrier for regenerative therapies. Thus, RHC/EGF freeze-dried dressing is a potentially useful tool for wound healing applications.