Scarless Wound Repair

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Scar formation is a problem of great clinical importance. Adult skin wounds heal with scar while early gestation fetal skin has the capacity to heal without scar. Using a fetal rat wound model, we have identified several endogenous molecules involved in scarless wound repair. Administration of a specific molecule completely inhibits scar formation in late gestation fetal wounds that normally repair with scar and significantly ameliorates scar formation in adult wounds. In addition, wound inflammation was also significantly reduced. In this Phase I study we propose to: 1) confirm that molecule-mediated scar reduction is not associated with impaired wound healing, 2) refine the indications for molecule usage in wounds (i.e., incisional vs. excisional wounds), 3) refine the indications for molecule usage in skin inflammation, and 4) provide a rationale for the method of recombinant molecule production in Phase II. In Phase II, we will propose to design and construct as well as test the in vitro biochemical activity and in vivo bioactivity of the produced molecule. Our long-term goal is to develop endogenous proteoglycans as an effective treatment for cutaneous scar and inflammatory conditions.