Breakthrough discovery could slow ageing process
In a major scientific breakthrough, researchers have discovered how the human body makes skin from stem cells. The team has been able to replicate the process in a lab, creating small amounts of skin. The research is part of a larger study to understand how every part of the human body is created, cell by cell. The findings could slow down signs of aging and advance artificial skin production for transplantation and scar prevention.
Human Cell Atlas Project leads skin research
The groundbreaking research is part of the Human Cell Atlas project, an ambitious international program based at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge. One of the project's leaders, Prof Muzlifah Haniffa, believes this discovery could revolutionize how scientists treat diseases and maintain health and youthfulness. Haniffa stated that manipulating the skin and preventing aging could lead to fewer wrinkles.
Understanding skin cell development: A major breakthrough
The research team has taken giant leaps in understanding how skin cells develop in the early stages of human life. After fertilization, all human cells are identical, but certain genes activate after three weeks to specialize and form different body parts. The researchers have pinpointed which genes activate at what time and where to form skin, the largest organ in the human body.
Genetic instructions for skin formation published
Under the microscope, with some chemical treatment, the activated genes look like tiny fairy lights. Genes that turn orange form the skin's surface, while yellow ones determine its color. Other genes contribute to structures that grow hair, enable sweating, and protect from external elements. These genetic instructions have been published in the journal Nature.
Lab-grown skin opens new possibilities in medicine
This breakthrough could one day replicate the scar-free healing process of fetal skin in adults for surgical applications. In a major development, researchers revealed the critical role of immune cells in forming blood vessels in the skin, something they successfully mimicked in a lab setting. Using chemicals to control gene activation, scientists have grown tiny blobs of skin with sprouting hairs from stem cells.
Lab-grown skin could benefit burn patients, baldness treatment
Prof Haniffa said perfecting the technique of growing skin from stem cells could greatly benefit burn patients through tissue transplantation. It could also potentially create hair growth solutions for baldness. The lab-grown skin can further aid in understanding inherited skin diseases and testing new treatments. Instructions for gene activation continue throughout life to develop various organs and tissues.
Human Cell Atlas project analyzes 100 million cells
Over the past eight years, the Human Cell Atlas project has analyzed 100 million cells from various body parts. The project has already produced draft atlases for the brain and lung, while work is still underway for the kidney, liver, and heart. The next phase will see these individual atlases being integrated into a comprehensive map of human development.
