Understanding the Role of IGF-1 in Regenerative Medicine for Skin Regeneration, the Future of Wound Healing: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: The skin is the outermost layer of the body which serve as a protectivebarrier and
plays a huge role in physical appearance. Pathology involving the skin such as chronic nonhealing wound, hair loss and aging may affect the wellbeing of the individual leading to mental
stress as well as increased morbidity and mortality. Inview of recent development in regenerative
medicine, present study aims to pool studies relating to the used of insulin growth factor (IGF-1)
in regenerative medicine for various skin conditions and identify the research gap. Materials and
Methods: Anextensive literature search was done in PubMed Central and PubMed from 2009 to
present, 2020. The inclusion criteria include original research related to IGF-1 in skin regeneration
done in vivo or in vitro. Results: During the search, 208 journals were identified whereby 12 had
met the inclusion criteria. Our findings revealed most of thestudies relating to this area were
conducted on wound healing (n=11), and one studyis on hair growth (n=1). Conclusion: Based
on current data, incorporating IGF-1 intoregenerative medicine benefits promotes wound
healing which may benefits patients with non-healing diabetic wound, as well as hair growth
which serve as aesthetic purposes for those with male or female pattern baldness. However,
there were no studies relating to the anti-aging effects of IGF-1 and human studies/clinical trials
conducted in this area of study which could be a potential area for future study.