What is the Role of Fibronectin in Wound Healing?

Fibronectin is a crucial extracellular matrix protein that plays a multifaceted part in the body’s natural processes, including the ability to repair and regenerate damaged tissues. Because of its contributions to processes related to tissue repair, several studies have explored its ability to augment wound healing when supplemented exogenously, such as through topical means.

In this article, we’ll explore the various ways in which this remarkable molecule contributes to the healing of skin wounds, from facilitating cell migration and growth to modulating the inflammatory response and promoting angiogenesis.

What is Fibronectin?

Fibronectin is a large, multifunctional glycoprotein found in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and in the plasma. Structurally, fibronectin comprises two similar subunits linked by disulfide bonds, and it contains several distinct binding domains that allow it to interact with a wide range of other molecules that are also involved in wound healing, such as collagen and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).

The versatility of fibronectin makes it such a crucial player in many physiological processes, including wound healing, cell adhesion, migration, and differentiation. Its ability to serve as a scaffold and signaling platform for various cell types is central to its role in tissue repair and regeneration.

Understanding the Role of Topical Fibronectin in Promoting Skin Wound Healing

Fibronectin’s involvement in the wound healing process is multifaceted, and it plays a vital role at various stages of the process. 

Considering the ability of fibronectin to facilitate wound healing, it’s reasonable to think that the topical application of this protein can significantly enhance the skin’s natural wound healing capabilities, leading to optimal tissue healing in terms of speed and effectiveness, even in chronic, non-healing wounds in irradiated skin.

Here are some functions of fibronectin that enable its topical application to contribute to the healing of skin wounds:

Cell Growth and Migration

Fibronectin acts as a substrate for the attachment and migration of various cell types involved in wound healing, such as fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and endothelial cells. It aids in the movement of cells to the wound site by providing a physical and biochemical structure, allowing them to grow and contribute to the healing process and tissue regeneration.

Binding Site for Growth Factors

Fibronectin serves as a binding site for a number of important growth factors within the wound site, such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). It boosts the wound healing effects of these growth factors, further enhancing the healing process.

Tissue Remodeling

Fibronectin is essential in facilitating tissue remodeling during wound healing. It acts as a scaffold for the deposition of other extracellular matrix components, such as collagen and proteoglycans, which are essential for the structural and functional restoration of the damaged tissue.

Nonimmune Opsonin

Under certain circumstances, fibronectin can function as a nonimmune opsonin, facilitating the phagocytosis of cellular debris and foreign particles by fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and macrophages. This helps to clear the wound site of potentially harmful materials, promoting a more efficient and organized healing process.

Other Benefits of Fibronectin for the Skin

In addition to its pivotal role in the wound healing process, fibronectin also offers several other benefits for the skin. Here are the other functions and properties of fibronectin that make it an excellent ingredient for topical products for better skin health and appearance:

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Fibronectin has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory properties, which can be particularly beneficial in skin wounds and other inflammatory skin conditions. The modulation of the inflammatory response by fibronectin can alleviate redness, swelling, and pain, helping achieve a more favorable outcome during the healing process, including after undergoing minimally invasive procedures like microneedling.

Increased Angiogenesis

Fibronectin plays a crucial role in the process of angiogenesis, or the formation of new blood vessels. The presence of fibronectin promotes the migration and multiplication of endothelial cells, which ‌leads to the formation of a well-established vascular network at the site of injury. This network plays a crucial role in providing the nutrients and oxygen for the healing and regeneration of the damaged tissue.

Ascellos™: Revolutionizing Skincare With Nourishing Ingredients

To conclude, fibronectin is a remarkable protein found in the extracellular matrix that plays a pivotal role in the complex process of wound healing. It’s vital for the body’s natural healing process as it supports cell growth and movement, acts as a receptor for growth factors, and helps in tissue remodeling. This makes it crucial for repairing and regenerating damaged skin.

At RegenOMedix, we’re proud to introduce Ascellos™, our innovative skincare product that harnesses the power of fibronectin and other nourishing ingredients to revolutionize the way you care for your patient’s skin. Formulated with the latest advancements in skin science, Ascellos™ products are designed to support the skin’s natural healing and regenerative processes, leading to a more radiant, youthful, and resilient complexion.

Ascellos™ is loaded with nourishing products, all with properties that can help promote skin health and delay skin aging. Aside from exosomes that have promising effects on improving skin texture, fibronectin, which is strategically incorporated to leverage its numerous benefits for the skin. 

Being a topical formulation infused with fibronectin, applying Ascellos™ to your patient’s skin enables you to help your patients experience a sped up skin healing process, brought by fibronectin’s role in enhancing cell growth and migration, improving tissue remodeling, and modulating the inflammatory response, all of which can contribute to a more effective and sped up skin healing process.

Ascellos™ can also work in synergy with our cutting-edge Nanopen Pro™ microneedling device, which uses advanced technology to deliver these nourishing ingredients deep into the skin, further amplifying their therapeutic effects. Ascellos™ can also help reduce the downtime for Nanopen Pro™, further improving patient’s overall satisfaction with your aesthetic services.

Experience the difference that Ascellos™ can make in your aesthetic practice. Contact us today to learn more about how our premium, evidence-based products can revolutionize the way you approach skin health and rejuvenation.

References

Johnson, M. B., Pang, B., Gardner, D. J., Niknam-Benia, S., Soundarajan, V., Bramos, A., Perrault, D. P., Banks, K., Lee, G. K., Baker, R. Y., Kim, G. H., Lee, S., Chai, Y., Chen, M., Li, W., Kwong, L., Hong, Y., & Wong, A. K. (2017). Topical fibronectin improves wound healing of irradiated skin. Scientific Reports, 7(1). Source 

Larivière B, Rouleau M, Picard S, Beaulieu AD. Human plasma fibronectin potentiates the mitogenic activity of platelet-derived growth factor and complements its wound healing effects. Wound Repair Regen. 2003 Jan-Feb;11(1):79-89. doi: 10.1046/j.1524-475x.2003.11112.x. PMID: 12581430.

Patten, J., & Wang, K. (2021). Fibronectin in development and wound healing. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 170, 353–368. Source