Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40320617›Full record

ArticleInternational wound journal2025

Enhanced Skin Wound Healing Through Chemically Modified Messenger RNA Encoding Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF).

Haiyang Hu, Qianglong Sheng, Fan Yang, Xinyi Wu, Youlai Zhang, Shuling Wu, Yihu Liu, Ningyan Hu, Chenhong Fu, Jialin Leong and 12 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in International wound journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Haiyang HuJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Pain Medicine, Medical Center of Burn Plastic and Wound Repair, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Qianglong ShengDepartment of Pharmacology, Innovative Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China.
Fan YangDepartment of Pharmacology, Innovative Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China.
Xinyi WuNanchang University Queen Mary School, Jiangxi, China.
Youlai ZhangJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Pain Medicine, Medical Center of Burn Plastic and Wound Repair, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Shuling WuDepartment of Pharmacology, Innovative Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China.
Yihu LiuDepartment of Pharmacology, Innovative Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China.
Ningyan HuDepartment of Pharmacology, Innovative Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China.
Chenhong FuDepartment of Pharmacology, Innovative Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China.
Jialin LeongDepartment of Pharmacology, Innovative Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China.
Rufei DengJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Pain Medicine, Medical Center of Burn Plastic and Wound Repair, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Zhenyu JiangJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Pain Medicine, Medical Center of Burn Plastic and Wound Repair, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Jiaxin ChenJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Pain Medicine, Medical Center of Burn Plastic and Wound Repair, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Zhenxing WangDepartment of Orthopedics, Movement System Injury and Repair Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Chunyuan ChenDepartment of Orthopedics, Movement System Injury and Repair Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Fei ChenCenter for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
Yixuan LuoCenter for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
Yuanlin ZengJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Pain Medicine, Medical Center of Burn Plastic and Wound Repair, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Yin YuCenter for Materials Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
Hui XieDepartment of Orthopedics, Movement System Injury and Repair Research Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
Gang WangDepartment of Pharmacology, Innovative Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China.
Lijin ZouJiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burn and Pain Medicine, Medical Center of Burn Plastic and Wound Repair, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.

Funding

Jiangxi Provincial Health Commission Science and Technology Plan Project 202130131Jiangxi Provincial Keyaboratory of Trauma, Burn and Pain Medicine No.2024SSY06181Jiangxi Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China 20202BABL206072National Natural Science Foundation of China 81660364National Natural Science Foundation of China 81760343National Natural Science Foundation of China 82002355National Natural Science Foundation of China 82372403
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Efficient wound healing remains a formidable medical challenge in clinical practice, due to the prevalence of skin defects arising from diverse etiological factors. It is indisputable that epidermal growth factor (EGF) plays a pivotal role in wound repair. However, its clinical application through recombinant proteins encounters challenges, including a short half-life in vivo and high production costs. Addressing these limitations, recent advancements in chemically modified mRNA (cmRNA) technologies offer a promising alternative. This study explores the utilisation of cmRNA in a biocompatible citrate-saline formulation to encode EGF for therapeutic purposes, capitalising on the advantages of cmRNA's inherent stability and the formulation's compatibility with biological systems. CmRNA demonstrated high transfection efficiency in human immortalised keratinocyte (HaCaT) and normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) cells (93.97% ± 1.25% and 90.37% ± 0.97%, respectively), resulting in efficient production of biologically active EGF protein. In vitro, EGF cmRNA significantly promoted HaCaT and NHDF cell cycle, proliferation and migration. In vivo, in vivo imaging system (IVIS) imaging of murine skin confirmed localised and sustained expression of Luciferase cmRNA, with signals detectable up to 11 days post-injection. Immunohistochemistry revealed protein expression in both epidermal and dermal layers as early as 1 h post-injection, peaking at 48 h, further corroborated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In a full-thickness skin defect mouse model, EGF cmRNA significantly accelerated wound healing, with superior re-epithelialisation observed compared to controls by Day 6. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Ki67 mRNA expression levels were markedly increased, both in vitro and in vivo. By Day 14, histological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that EGF cmRNA outperformed recombinant human EGF (rhEGF), as indicated by enhanced formation of hair follicles and cutaneous glands, better-organised collagen fibres, and a reduced collagen Type I/III ratio. No adverse effects were observed in major organs, confirming cmRNA's biosafety. These results highlight the therapeutic potential of EGF-encoding cmRNA as an effective and safe alternative for enhancing wound healing.

Indexed as

Epidermal Growth FactorRNA, MessengerSkinWound HealingAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalFibroblastsHumansKeratinocytesMiceEpidermal Growth FactorRNA, Messengerchemically modified mRNAepidermal growth factorprotein enhancement therapywound healing

Identifiers

PMID40320617
PMCPMC12050261

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.