The Skin’s Secret Weapon: Researchers Uncover an Ancient Mechanism for Wound Repair

Sakshi Education

The world can be a hazardous place, with various dangers lurking around us such as bacteria, viruses, accidents, and injuries. Our skin acts as the ultimate shield, providing a steadfast defense against these threats. It serves as the boundary between the internal and external environment and is the largest organ in the body, functioning nearly seamlessly to protect us.
Still, the skin is not immune to harm. It endures daily assaults and still tries to keep us safe by detecting and responding to these dangers. One method is the detection of pathogens, which activates the immune system. However, recent research conducted by Elaine Fuchs at Rockefeller University and published in the journal Cell, has uncovered a new protection mechanism that responds to injury signals in damaged tissue, such as low oxygen levels caused by blood vessel disruption and scab formation. This mechanism is activated without the need for an infection.
The study is the first to identify a damage response pathway that is distinct from but parallel to the classical pathway triggered by pathogens.
At the helm of the response is interleukin-24 (IL24), whose gene is induced in skin epithelial stem cells at the wound edge. Once unleashed, this secreted protein begins to marshal a variety of different cells to begin the complex process of healing.

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