A combined candidate therapy for the scar-free repair of cleft lip based on inhibitors of TGF-β.

The prevalence of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) at birth varied from 3.4-22.9 per 10000 births according to different geography and ethnic groups. And scar has been recognized as a significantly negative factor on the postoperative wound healing of cleft lip patients because it often impairs function, blocks growth and makes the face aesthetically unpleasant. TGF-β (Transforming growth factor-β), a chemotactic factor of monocytes, fibroblasts and macrophages, which stimulates collagen and other extracellular matrix deposition by fibroblasts, could promote angiogenesis and stimulate the scar formation, which hinder the aesthetic effects on the face. Theoretically, inhibitors of TGF-β could inhibit scar formation, which could be a potential application for the therapy of cleft lip patients. Therefore a combined therapy based on inhibitors of TGF-β may be taken as an important treatment to control postoperative scar in the future.