Researchers Isolate Chemical Signal that Causes Stem Cells to Repair Skin
Bone Marrow Stem cells in bone marrow can help repair damaged skin, and now researchers think they know how this process is triggered. That could lead to new treatments that coax stem cells to the site of damaged skin to speed repair. Yale Rosen via Flickr"Megaphone" summons bone marrow to send help to skin Bone marrow has long been thought to have a role in repairing damaged skin, and now UK and Japanese researchers think they've found the key to summoning stem cells from bone marrow to the site of damaged skin: a signal known as HMGB1. By tapping this signaling mechanism, researchers could develop new treatments for skin injuries like severe burns. HMGB1 is like a "megaphone in the system," researchers said, putting out a distress call when stem cells are needed. But that distress signal only goes out when initiated by certain conditions. Figuring out what those conditions are and...