University researchers have uncovered how skin cells “walk” to wounds to heal them and have captured the moment on video.
Washington State University scientists recorded the process through a high-resolution confocal microscope, giving them a detailed look at exactly what goes on. The result is a video (below) that shows how cells in the epidermis alter the proteins holding them in place and move to repair a wound.
"They walk," said Jonathan Jones, director of WSU's School of Molecular Biosciences, the lead author of the research paper that details the new process.
Normal skin cells are typically held in place by contact with surrounding cells and proteins that bind them to underlying connective tissue. But Jones and his fellow researchers discovered how epidermis cells dissolve the glue that binds them and reuse some of the proteins to move to seal a wound site. This allows the cells to shift from side to side to use their outer edges as "feet", and also grow more cells to form new, healed skin.
"It's using its internal muscle-related proteins to be able to generate these forces to allow the cell to use its feet and move along in step-wise fashion," added Jones.
The discovery could help researchers better understand how skin repairs itself, allowing them to manipulate and enhance it in the future so wounds heal more quickly.
“Wound healing is deficient as we get old and also among diabetics," explained Jones. "That's why diabetics get skin ulcers. If we could work out a way to enhance the motility of these skin cells, we could promote healing in patients that have problems with wound closure and ulceration of the skin."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
