Human dermal fibroblast‐derived secretory proteins for regulating nerve restoration: A bioinformatic approach

Background Human dermal fibroblasts secrete diverse proteins that regulate wound repair and tissue regeneration. Methods In this study, dermal fibroblast‐conditioned medium (DFCM) proteins potentially regulating nerve restoration were bioinformatically selected among the 337 protein lists identified by quantitative liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry. Using these proteins, protein–protein interaction network analysis was conducted. In addition, the roles of DFCM proteins were reviewed according to their protein classifications. Results Gene Ontology protein classification categorized these 57 DFCM proteins into various classes, including protein‐binding activity modulator (N = 11), cytoskeletal protein (N = 8), extracellular matrix protein (N = 6), metabolite interconversion enzyme (N = 5), chaperone (N = 4), scaffold/adapter protein (N = 4), calcium‐binding protein (N = 3), cell adhesion molecule (N = 2), intercellular signal molecule (N = 2), protein modifying enzyme (N = 2), transfer/carrier protein (N = 2), membrane traffic protein (N = 1), translational protein (N = 1), and unclassified proteins (N = 6). Further protein–protein interaction network analysis of 57 proteins revealed significant interactions among the proteins that varied according to the settings of confidence score. Conclusions Our bioinformatic analysis demonstrated that DFCM contains many secretory proteins that form significant protein–protein interaction networks crucial for regulating nerve restoration. These findings underscore DFCM proteins’ critical roles in various nerve restoration stages during the wound repair process.