Engineering interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and platelet-derived growth factor-BB for regenerative medicine applications

Growth factors (GFs) and cytokines have a great potential in regenerative medicine. However, clinical translation of these biologics has been modest. The main challenges include side effects and cost-efficiency issues which are related to the high doses required to reach therapeutic benefits. Therefore, to overcome these drawbacks, better delivery strategies need to be developed. A promising strategy is to engineer biologics to bind extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Here, we engineered platelet-derived growth factor-BB and interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist to have a super-affinity for the ECM. Moreover, we explored the impact of IL-1 signalling on GF regenerative effects in mouse models.