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 non[1]healing 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.