Roundworms may be key to scar-free healing
Marie Donlon | October 14, 2024To potentially treat deep injuries that affect the dermis and often lead to scar tissue — possibly resulting in permanent changes in appearance and restricting movement in nearby muscles and joints — the team focused on the roundworm, which naturally infests the intestines of rodents.
To reach this conclusion, the scientists applied daily doses of TGM to the injured skin of lab mice, finding that wounds treated with TGM healed more quickly and showed significantly less scarring than wounds left untreated. After 12 days of treatment, the skin of the treated mice appeared almost entirely restored to its original condition, and even regenerated hair follicles within the dermis.
“In this study, we have developed a novel therapy for the treatment of skin wounds that favors regenerative wound healing over tissue fibrosis and scarring. It provides a significant framework for the potential use of an easy-to-produce parasite protein as a therapy to promote cutaneous wound healing,” the researchers added.
However, the team cautions that the research is in its early stages and still needs to be trialed on human subjects.
This team’s findings are detailed in the article, “Helminth protein enhances wound healing by inhibiting fibrosis and promoting tissue regeneration," which appears in the journal Life Science Alliance.