Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is an important protein for wound healing and angiogenesis in tissue engineering, but the lack of a viable delivery system hampers its clinical application. This study aims to maintain the long-term controlled release of bFGF by utilizing a collagen/heparin bi-affinity multilayer delivery system (CHBMDS), which is fabricated by the alternate deposition of negatively charged heparin, positively charged collagen, and CBD-bFGF (a collagen-binding domain [CBD] was fused into the native bFGF) via specific or electrostatic interaction. The results show that CHBMDS not only support localized and prolonged release of CBD-bFGF(over 35 days) but also lead to enhanced angiogenesis (higher density and larger diameter (≈70 µm) of newly formed blood vessels in subcutaneous tissue of SD rat after 5 weeks). This system could act as a versatile approach for bFGF delivery and further improve therapeutic efficacy for injured tissues.
Keywords: angiogenesis; bi-affinity; collagen; controlled release; heparin.
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