Scars in a test tube
A remedy for scars and scars is being tested
Sergey Syrov, XXII CENTURY, based on ScienceDaily: Stopping scars before they form
Most people have had or have scars. Who hasn't fallen in childhood, skinning their knees and elbows? Although the traces of most injuries disappear over time, there are severe cases such as keloid scars and burn scars that are currently difficult to treat. These types of scars are associated with permanent functional losses and can disfigure a person. New drugs that can stop the formation of scars are very necessary.
The development, which may in the future become the basis of a method for combating scars and scars, is presented at the 252nd National Meeting and Exhibition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
"The therapy we are developing is focused on the basic needs of patients with burns, keloid scars and Dupuytren contracture," says Professor Swaminatha Iyer. – These patients have extensive scars, often interfering with normal movement. There are no treatments that would help them properly, we want to change that."
Burns lead to the hospitalization of tens of thousands of people every year in America alone. Approximately 250,000 patients with keloid scars in the United States annually undergo operations that leave behind scars. Approximately 7 percent of Americans develop Dupuytren contracture.
Dupuytren's contracture is a disease in which the palmar tendons are reborn and shortened. At the same time, the ability to unbend the fingers is impaired and part of the functions of the hand is lost. The only effective way to combat the disease at the present time is surgical intervention.
Professor Ayer and his colleagues from The University of Western Australia (The University of Western Australia), the Fiona Wood Foundation (Fiona Wood Foundation) and the burn department of the Royal Perth Hospital Burns Unit (Royal Perth Hospital Burns Unit) in collaboration with the pharmacological company Pharmaxis are studying substances that inhibit the enzyme lysyl oxidase (LOX). When forming a scar, this enzyme provides the production of collagen, which is needed to connect the edges of the wound. The need to provide this compound underlies the fundamental biochemical processes leading to the formation of scars, Ayer notes.
"During scarring, the normal tissue architecture is never restored, which makes new tissues functionally defective," explains Ayer. "So, our goal is to stop the scar from appearing at the very beginning by inhibiting LOX. We were lucky enough to work in collaboration with the pharmaceutical company Pharmaxis, developing new and highly selective small molecules that will restore normal tissue architecture during wound healing."
The molecules are tested using Scar-in-a-jar, a cellular model simulating scar formation. This is a culture of human fibroblasts taken from scar tissue. The cells secrete collagen in the same way they normally do in response to injury. During the study, scientists added LOX inhibitors to cell cultures taken from patients with Dupuytren's contracture, keloid scars and other scars, and recorded the changes using two-photon laser microscopy in combination with biochemical and immunohistochemical analysis.
"Preliminary data strongly suggest that inhibition of lysyl oxidase changes the structure of collagen and restores normal skin architectonics," says Ayer. – After laboratory testing has been carried out, the effectiveness of these compounds will be tested on animal models. If animal studies show the effectiveness of the drugs, human trials may be initiated in the coming years."
Although the main research goal is to help patients with severe or extensive scars, the method can also be used in cosmetic medicine.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru
29.08.2016