How beaded scars and how to prevent them from being incurred
Wounds and scars are as old as humanity itself and yet the exact processes that occur in wound healing and scar formation are not understood, yet sufficient. An interdisciplinary research team was now able to decipher these mechanisms in more detail and the way for improved wound healing therapies pave.
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) have broken down the processes in more detail what the wound healing and scar formation control. For this purpose, the Team used a newly developed method which allowed to measure for the first time, the biomechanical properties of healing tissue on a living object. The results of the research were recently presented in the prestigious scientific journal “Nature Communications”.
Fast-healing wounds heal worse
The researchers understood that the new methodology for the first time, such as certain growth of influence of factors on the speed and quality of healing. It turned out that the fast healing of wounds at the end tends to be wulstigere scars and the surrounding skin to lose a part of the elasticity. Slow healing of wounds take longer, but are associated with significantly less scar formation.
What processes occur in wound healing?
A key role in wound healing plays, the researchers reported, the signaling molecule Activin. This growth factor is also in cancer relevant. “We have shown how profoundly a single signal molecule affects the complex Interplay between cells and their Matrix,” says Sabine Werner, the research team was at the Institute for Molecular health Sciences.
The amount decides the speed
The more Activin in the wound is, the more connective tissue cells arise at the same time, report the researchers. This is the composition of the so-called extracellular Matrix, the connective tissue portion that is located between the cells influence. This Matrix forms a kind of scaffolding, which surrounds the cells.
At high Activin concentration of more Collagen to collect in this Matrix. These protein substances, collagen fibers form the Collagen network. “So the wound heals faster, but the injured tissue stiffens and hardens,” explain the researchers.
Wound healing make measurable
Using the new measurement method from now on, the Activin can be concentration during wound healing identified, resulting in an early conclusion with regard to the course of healing can be drawn. According to Werner, the healing process could perhaps even affect. For example, a wound can be enriched with Activin, before it becomes chronic. Injuries to the face may be delayed due to the inhibition of Activin out, whereby the wound with less scarring associated.
“With our interdisciplinary approach, we lay the groundwork and contribute to a better understanding of the healing processes,” says Edoardo Mazza, who led the research team at the Institute for Mechanical systems. Until such methods are used, but need to be researched further in the field. (vb)
You can find additional information in the article: wound healing – duration and phases.
Authors and source of information
This Text meets the requirements of the medical literature, medical guidelines, as well as current studies and was examined by doctors and Medical scientists.