Kiss a frog, heal an ugly scar
5:00AM Monday November 19, 2007
By Robin McKie
Photo / Richard Robinson
The secret powers of frogs are being exploited by scientists to
create drugs that will correct disfiguring facial scars and could one
day help in the regrowth of amputated arms and legs.
Researchers at Manchester University in northern England are
exploiting the ability of some amphibians to regrow limbs. These
creatures share much of their genetic make-up with humans.
"Human and amphibian proteins are very similar," said Professor
Enrique Amaya.
"That means the lessons you learn from frogs and salamanders are
applicable to humans. Their embryos - spawn - are also easier to
study."
The Manchester work on tissue regeneration began 10 years ago, when
Professor Mark Ferguson discovered most animals' embryos recover more
fully from cuts than adult animals. The latter are often left
scarred, but not embryos.
"The protein responsible for this recovery is known as Transforming
Growth Factor Beta 3," said Ferguson.
"It is present in small amounts in adults, but in large amounts in
embryos, where it plays a key role in helping skin to multiply inside
in a rapidly growing embryo." Ferguson's team has since isolated the
protein, TGF Beta 3, and has developed ways to manufacture it
artificially. The result is a drug called Juvista.
development has been taken over by a university spin-off company,
Renovo, which is now in phase two clinical trials.
Juvista could soon be used as a treatment for alleviating scarring
during surgery, added Ferguson.
"After surgery for really severe accidents, patients can be left with
really disfiguring scars.
"Using Juvista, which you inject into the skin during the operation,
we've found we can reduce scarring by a significant amount."
Researchers at both centres are now working on ways to make further
improvement in drugs to help scars heal after surgery.
"We are not doing this to help women who want to remove bags from
under their eyes," said Amaya.
"We want to help people who suffered really nasty facial deformities
after accidents."
A key to this work is Manchester's research on amphibians. Spawn -
usually from the genus Xenopus - is used to search for other
biochemical agents that aid scar recovery. In addition, some species
of amphibians, mainly salamanders, are known to grow replacement
limbs.
If the biochemical agents and growth factors involved in limb growth
can be discovered, then it could have profoundly important medical
implications, said Professor Cay Kielty.
"Limb regrowth involves blood, bone and muscle tissue growing in a
very ordered manner.
"If you can learn how it happens in amphibians, you could think of
replicating it in humans."
Researchers envisage erecting bio-degradable scaffolding on a limb
site, lacing these with a patient's stem cells and then adding
biochemical agents developed from their amphibian work.
The stem cells would evolve into blood, muscle and bone under the
direction of these agents, while the scaffold disintegrates slowly -
to form a new limb.
"It is encouraging, but it will take many years to realise," added
Ferguson.
"However, we are close to getting medicines that will reduce scars in
accident victims."
- Observer
http://www.nzherald
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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