The scientists conducted a study on the function of fibroblasts in a biological model. Reported by the American Institute of Physics.
To examine how injury type affects wound healing rate, Jeroen Eikmans and colleagues developed model in a laboratory settingconsists of fibroblasts embedded in a collagen hydrogel. Wounds were created in this microscopic living tissue using a knife to simulate a tear and a powerful laser to simulate a burn.
Although both types of wounds were similar in size, laser ablation caused more cell death and tissue damage at the edges of the wound as opposed to stab wounds.
“During healing, we found that fibroblasts first remove damaged material from the wound and only then begin to form new one,” said the scientist. “This was a surprising finding because removal of dead tissue was attributed to specialized immune cells such as macrophages, and fibroblasts were thought to be tissue-forming cells, not tissue-extracting cells.”
Given that there is more tissue damage in laser cut wounds, it took longer for the fibroblasts to repair the damage and, as a result, slowed healing.
The authors hope their work will provide a comprehensive understanding of bodily functions, as well as help clinicians develop treatments for particularly difficult wounds.
Formerly a substance for the treatment of obesity passed mouse tests.