Cutaneous Wound Healing After Treatment with Plant-Derived Human Recombinant Collagen Flowable Gel

Chronic wounds, particularly diabetic ulcers, represent a main public health concern with significant costs. Ulcers often harbor an additional obstacle in the form of tunneled or undermined wounds, requiring treatments that can reach the entire wound tunnel, because bioengineered grafts are typically available only in a sheet form. While collagen is considered a suitable biodegradable scaffold material, it is usually extracted from animal and human cadaveric sources, and accompanied by potential allergic and infectious risks. The purpose of this study was to test the performance of a flowable gel made of human recombinant type I collagen (rhCollagen) produced in transgenic tobacco plants, indicated for the treatment of acute, chronic, and tunneled wounds. The performance of the rhCollagen flowable gel was tested in an acute full-thickness cutaneous wound-healing rat model and compared to saline treatment and two commercial flowable gel control products made of bovine collagen and cadaver human skin collag...