[ 2011-04-06 ]

Skin grafts trigger repair by bone marrow cells

Chemical found which 'makes bone marrow repair skin'
The chemical which summons stem cells from bone
marrow to the site of a wound has been discovered
by scientists in the UK and Japan.

The study, published in Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, identified the
distress signal - HMGB1.

The authors believe it can be used to put "a
megaphone in the system" to improve the treatment
of injuries such as burns and leg ulcers.

Another UK expert said the research had
potential.

Bone marrow was thought to play a role in
repairing damaged skin, but the exact process was
unknown.

Scientists at Osaka University and King's College
London gave mice bone marrow cells that glow green
- which can be tracked while moving round the
body.

They then wounded the mice and some were given
skin grafts.

Megaphone medicine

In mice without grafts, very few stem cells
travelled to the wound. Those with grafts had many
stem cells travelling to the wound.

Professor John McGrath, from King's College
London, says grafted skin tissue has no blood
vessels and therefore no oxygen. He says this
environment leads to the release of HMGB1 - or
what he called a 'Save Our Skin signal' - which
results in stem cells moving to the wound.

He said: "It could have a very big impact on
regenerative medicine for treating people with
rare genetic illnesses and more common problems
such as burns and ulcers.

"It could potentially revolutionise the management
of wound healing."

He envisaged treatments in which a drug similar to
HMGB1 would be injected near to a wound.

He said: "It would be like putting a megaphone in
the system" bringing stem cells to the injury.

Researchers in Osaka are developing a drug to
mimic HMGB1. They hope to begin animal testing by
the end of the year and human clinical trials
shortly afterwards.

Phil Stephens, professor of Cell Biology at
Cardiff University, said: "I think it has
potentially big clinical implications, but the key
is potential if you can control it. You can't just
chuck it on, you need the right amounts at the
right time."

"Identifying the mechanism is a really important
first step."

Source - BBC

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