Peptides from live yeast cell derivative stimulate wound healing

J. P. Bentley, T. K. Hunt, J. B. Weiss, C. M. Taylor, A. N. Hanson, G. H. Davies and B. J. Halliday
Department of Biochemistry, Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine, Portland 97201.

Live yeast cell derivative is an alcoholic extract from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) that has previously been shown by three groups of workers to stimulate wound healing. Live yeast cell derivative is a complex mixture, and it was not known which of its many components was responsible for the biological activity. This study describes the separation and analysis of the major components, one of which is a peptide fraction that stimulates wound healing. The fraction consists of a mixture of peptides from 6000 to 17,000 d. It causes angiogenesis in a chick embryo yolk sac membrane assay and in a rabbit cornea assay, and it dramatically stimulates wound healing in the "Schilling/Hunt" wire mesh cylinder model at concentrations 25-fold lower than those required for the intact live yeast cell derivative.