Scientists from the University of California have developed a drug that affects circadian rhythms and affects the synthesis of collagen, a protein essential for skin repair. The drug will be especially useful for the correct healing of scars. The results of the scientific study were published in the journal. magazine Frontiers in Medicine.
Inadvertently healing scars can cause discomfort to a person – they can hurt, affect the range of motion of the affected body part, or lead to emotional distress.
Increased collagen production leads to the formation of scars that become thicker, more prominent and less elastic than the surrounding skin. To avoid this, scientists tried to change the expression of the Npas2 gene, which is responsible for regulating the body’s circadian rhythms.
“Previous experiments have shown that Npas2-deactivated mice have significantly reduced overall wound healing time,” the scientists said.
The researchers selected five compounds that affect Npas2. Two of these drugs have been shown to be effective in improving cell migration rates and minimizing excess collagen synthesis. The authors cautioned that more research is needed to explain how the compounds work to support healing.
Source: Gazeta
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