Preclinical Efficacy of Recombinant Human Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-BB in Experimental Diabetic Wound Healing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Animal Studies

Background/Objectives: Recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB (rhPDGF-BB) is intended to restore reparative signaling in diabetic wounds, yet its efficacy and the contribution of delivery systems remain uncertain. This systematic review evaluated its preclinical efficacy, mechanistic responses, safety, risk of bias, certainty, and attribution of effects.

Methods

Following PRISMA 2020 and an OSF-registered protocol, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect were searched from inception to 29 July 2026 for controlled in vivo diabetic wound studies. Compatible outcomes were pooled using random-effects models with restricted maximum-likelihood estimation and Hartung–Knapp adjustment. Non-poolable findings were synthesized using attribution-specific effect direction maps. Risk of bias and certainty were assessed with SYRCLE and preclinical GRADE, respectively.