A role for decorin in cutaneous wound healing and angiogenesis

Decorin is known to influence tissue tensile strength and cellular phenotype. Therefore, decorin is likely to have an impact on tissue repair, including cutaneous wound healing. In this study, cutaneous healing of both excisional and incisional full‐thickness dermal wounds was studied in decorin‐deficient (Dcn^?/?) animals. A statistically significant delay in excisional wound healing in the Dcn^?/? mice occurred at 4 and 10 days postwounding and, in incisional wounds at 4, 10, and 18 days when compared with wild‐type (Dcn^?/?) controls. Fibrovascular invasion into polyvinylalcohol sponges was significantly increased by day 18 in Dcn^?/? mice relative to Dcn^+/+ mice. The 18‐day sponge implants in the Dcn^?/? mice showed a marked accumulation of biglycan when compared with the corresponding implants in Dcn^+/+ mice. Thus, regulated production of decorin may serve as an excellent therapeutic approach for modifying impaired wound healing and harmful foreign body reactions.     

Alloplastic injectable biomaterials for soft tissue augmentation: a report on two cases with complications associated with a new material (DermaLive) and a review of the literature

A wide variety of biological and alloplastic injectable biomaterials are available for soft tissue augmentation, but the ideal material has not yet been discovered. Biological materials such as collagen and hyaluronan yield temporary results, while injectable alloplasts are apt to cause varying degrees of foreign body reactions that may result in lumps and chronic inflammation.We present two cases (one is the first filed case in the world) of migratory subcutaneous inflammatory masses secondary to injection of acrylic hydrogel (DermaLive), which is an alloplastic biomaterial recently introduced into the market in Europe. Histology revealed foreign body reaction to acrylic hydrogel with granuloma formation containing multinucleated giant cells. Following this, further reports on complications have been reported elsewhere in Europe. The use and development of injectable materials, as well as alternative methods and future directions are reviewed.