A groundbreaking new discovery made by scientists in the US may spell the end of wrinkles forever.
A team at the University of Pennsylvania have found a way to manipulate wound healing so it leads to skin regeneration rather than scarring. Their studies have shown that this is possible using hair follicles which release a vital signalling molecule called Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP). BMP was found to instruct scar-forming cells, commonly found in healing wounds, to transform themselves into adipocytes. These are the fat cells that are normally found in skin but are lost when scars form and as a result of ageing.
Essentially, after influencing the cells found in healing wounds and transforming them into adipocytes, the skin can regenerate and signs of scarring and ageing will be significantly reduced.
Although the research focused on scarring, the discovery reported in the journal Science has much wider implications, said a spokesperson from the university.
It's said the findings can potentially help develop a new strategy to regenerate adipocytes in wrinkled skin, which could lead to brand new anti-ageing treatments too.
