Nature's tiny wonders heal human scars
The secret powers of frogs are being exploited by scientists to
create drugs that will correct disfiguring facial scars and could one
day help in the regrowth of amputated arms and legs
Robin McKie, science editor The Observer, Sunday November 18 2007
This article appeared in the Observer on Sunday November 18 2007 on
p16 of the News section. It was last updated at 23:53 on November 17
2007. The secret powers of frogs are being exploited by scientists to
create drugs that will correct disfiguring facial scars and could one
day help in the regrowth of amputated arms and legs.
Manchester University researchers are exploiting the ability of some
amphibians to regrow limbs. 'Human and amphibian proteins are very
similar,' said one of the researchers, Professor Enrique Amaya. 'That
means the lessons you learn from frogs and salamanders are applicable
to humans. Their embryos - spawn - are also easier to study.'
The Manchester work on tissue regeneration began 10 years ago, when
Professor Mark Ferguson discovered most animals' embryos recover more
fully from cuts than adult animals. The latter are often left
scarred, but not embryos.
'The protein responsible for this recovery is known as Transforming
Growth Factor Beta 3,' said Ferguson. 'It is present in small amounts
in adults, but in large amounts in embryos, where it plays a key role
in helping skin to multiply inside in a rapidly growing embryo.'
Ferguson's team has since isolated the protein, TGF Beta 3, and has
developed ways to manufacture it artificially. The result is a drug
called Juvista. Its development has been taken over by a university
spin-off company, Renovo, which is now in phase two clinical trials.
Juvista could soon be used as a treatment for alleviating scarring
during surgery, added Ferguson. 'After surgery for really severe
accidents, patients can be left with disfiguring scars. Using
Juvista, which you inject into the skin during the operation, we've
found we can reduce scarring by a significant amount.'
Researchers at both centres are now working on ways to make further
improvement in drugs to help scars heal after surgery. 'We are not
doing this to help women who want to remove bags from under their
eyes,' said Amaya. 'We want to help people who suffered really nasty
facial deformities after accidents.'
A key to this work is Manchester's research on amphibians. Spawn -
usually from the genus Xenopus - is used to search for other
biochemical agents that aid scar recovery. In addition, some species
of amphibians, mainly salamanders, are known to grow replacement
limbs.
If the biochemical agents and growth factors involved in limb growth
can be discovered, then it could have profoundly important medical
implications, said Professor Cay Kielty. 'Limb regrowth involves
blood, bone and muscle tissue growing in a very ordered manner. If
you can learn how that it happens in amphibians, you could think of
replicating it in humans.'
Researchers envisage erecting bio-degradable scaffolding on a limb
site, lacing these with a patient's stem cells and then adding
biochemical agents developed from their amphibian work. The stem
cells would evolve into blood, muscle and bone under the direction of
these agents, while the scaffold disintegrates slowly - to form a new
limb.
'It is encouraging, but it will take many years to realise,' added
Ferguson. 'However, we are close to getting medicines that will
reduce scars in accident victims.'
http://www.guardian
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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