Mechanism of wound healing process from the viewpoint of cytoskeletal regulators.

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26293380
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plastic surgery
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: KUBO TATEKI 大阪大学, 医学系研究科, 准教授 (00362707)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 線維芽細胞 / 細胞骨格 / 細胞骨格制御因子 / RhoA

Outline of Final Research Achievements

When the skin is wounded, repair processes start immediately, resulting in scar formation. Excess scar formation sometimes occurs consequent to skin injury that causes abnormal wound healing, which is known as hypertrophic scars and keloids. These are characterized by substantial deposition of collagen in the dermis. Such excessive collagen production by fibroblasts and myofibroblasts is known to play a major role in scar formation, and differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts is the most important process in wound healing. However, the mechanism is not yet fully understood. We found that TGF-β, mechanical stress, and endothelin-1 could promote differentiation of skin fibroblasts. In addition, such differentiation induced by TGF-β, mechanical stress, and endothelin-1 was mediated through RhoA/ROCK pathway. Therefore, it was suggested that targeting to cytoskeletal regulators like RhoA can lead to invention of a new therapy for abnormal wound healing.

Free Research Field

形成外科学