As good as new
A protein that triggers serious skin regeneration has been identified
Olga Ivanova, Naked Science
The study was conducted on mice. Nevertheless, it may turn out to be quite promising, since the detected protein causes adult skin to regenerate in the same way as it happens during intrauterine development. This may be important for the treatment of scarring and skin aging therapy.
The work of researchers from the University of Washington (USA) was published in the journal eLife (Phan et al., Lef1 expression in fibroblasts maintains developmental potential in adult skin to regenerate wounds).
It is known that mammals do not have such regenerating abilities as, for example, salamanders, which can regrow lost organs and regenerate their skin. The discovery of American geneticists admits that someday such an ability may become available to humans.
To find out its secret, the authors of the work drew attention to the processes occurring in the early stages of mammalian development.
This idea was prompted by the research of Dr. Michael Longaker from Stanford University. After performing an emergency operation on fetuses in the womb, the doctor and his colleagues noticed that the children born did not have postoperative scars. Scientists have managed to identify a factor that acts as a molecular switch in the skin of mice. It also controls the formation of hair follicles during the first week of life.
An image of a regenerating skin wound with hair follicles, from which goosebumps may appear. The green lines are muscles attached to individual regenerating hairs. A drawing from the Washington State University Discovery press release enables adult skin to regenerate like a newborn's.
The genetic transcription factor Lef1 turns off after the formation of the skin and remains in this state in the tissues of an adult. When the scientists reactivated it, the mice's skin was able to heal wounds without scarring. At the same time, fur grew on the skin again and even "goosebumps" ran with appropriate irritation. This is known to be uncharacteristic of scar tissue.
"We were able to use the ability of neonatal skin to regenerate by transferring it to adult skin. And in principle, they showed that a "revival" is possible," said Yvon Driskell, associate professor at the School of Molecular Biological Sciences at the University of Washington. The study was conducted on mice, but scientists point out that human and mouse skin are similar in overall structural complexity.
So, the Lef1 protein is also present in humans. However, according to the authors of the study, a lot of work needs to be done to apply the discovery to human skin. Nevertheless, they believe that they have made a fundamental breakthrough, and intend to continue studying this area.
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