Natural polymeric biomaterials in growth factor delivery for treating diabetic foot ulcers

Diabetes is a chronic illness and of serious healthcare burden with several million people suffering worldwide. Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the major complications associated with diabetes. Due to high blood glucose levels, the healing of wounds is compromised and may lead to amputation. Despite of different treatment options available, complete cure for DFU is still challenging. Growth factor based therapy such as using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or use of recombinant growth factors has been found to be promising treatment for DFU. PRP is a rich source of different growth factors that can mediate wound healing process. The limited storage time and rapid release of growth factors after application are some of the drawbacks for the direct application of PRP. This review describes the strategies for sustained delivery of growth factors from PRP using natural polymers such as alginate, chitosan, collagen, fucoidan, and hyaluronic acid. The use of polymeric substances for the delivery of growth factors can offer better healing outcomes in DFU.