The Protective Outer layer
Our skin endures a lot in our lifetime. We burn, skin our knees and bleed. Then we scar. Our skin is the largest organ in our body and serves as a protector. Our skin is not only a barrier that protects us from the environment but also regulates our temperature, offers immune protection against harmful bacteria and blocks harmful sunlight. This benefits our entire body. When skin is damaged, blood brings healing agents to the area to help promote healing while the body waits for new skin cells to replace the old ones.
Skin stem cells help skin to renew itself throughout life, regardless of scratches and scrapes. These stem cells are slowly replaced, which keeps our skin young and healthy. As we age, the skin stem cells deplete either numerically or in terms of their function. Our skin thins, and we are therefore at higher risk of developing ulcers. These ulcers can be more difficult to heal as the skin ages. They may become chronic wounds and cause infection.
What if we activated a stem cell in the skin to make it more sensitive to injury? How can we make an 80-year old’s skin function as well as a 30 year-old? Could we improve the turnover of skin stem cells and reverse age-related deterioration? What if this could be done in a way to heal wounds without scarring, regeneratingly? A team of researchers from Harvard, Boston Children’s Hospital and Mass General Brigham set out to investigate these cells.
Source:
https://bwhclinicalandresearchnews.org/2022/12/12/our-protective-outer-layer/
