Topical Application of Hsp90 alpha Bio-modulator to Promote Healing of Soft Tissue Injuries

Open wounds are the leading type of battlefield wounded-in-action casualties in military operations and improvement on current treatment is needed to reduce morbidity and accelerate recovery. Such an improvement will also significantly benefit civilians who spend over $25 billion annually to treat acute and chronic wounds. The objective of this proposal is to determine the efficacy of topical application of human recombinant heat shock protein Hsp90alpha and derived peptides in promoting the wound healing process. Li and his colleagues have previously demonstrated that Hsp90alpha is secreted by human kerotinocytes to the extracellular space in response to hypoxia and TGFalpha growth factor stimulation, and promotes cutaneous cell migration, and accelerates healing of mouse skin wounds. In this proposal we will develop and purify recombinant forms of HSP90 and select the leading candidate with the best pharmacological features for further development.