Biomaterial Scaffolds Boost Interleukin Production to Promote Wound Healing

The improved wound healing promoted by use of "biomaterial" scaffolds was shown to be due to activation of the immune system's T helper II pathway with a subsequent increase in production of interleukins.

Biomaterial scaffolds derived from cardiac muscle and bone extracellular matrix components help to guide regenerating tissue. Investigators at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD, USA) tested how such biomaterial scaffolds interact with the immune system in damaged tissue to promote repair.

They reported in the April 15, 2016, issue of the journal Science that scaffolds induced a pro-regenerative response, characterized by an mTOR/Rictor-dependent T helper II pathway that guided interleukin-4 (IL4) – dependent macrophage polarization, which was critical for functional muscle recovery. Mice that had been genetically engineered to lack T-cells did not activate interleukin production or heal as well as normal mice.

"In previous research, we have seen different immune system responses to the same biomaterial implanted in different tissues or environments, and that got us interested in how biomaterials might stimulate the immune system to promote regeneration," said senior author Dr. Jennifer Elisseeff, professor of ophthalmology and biomedical engineering at Johns Hopkins University. "We still have a lot to learn, but this study is a step toward designing materials to elicit a beneficial immune response."

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