Turns out the same glands that make you sweat are responsible for another job vital to your health: they help heal wounds. Human skin is rich with millions of eccrine sweat glands that help your body cool down after a trip to the gym or on awarm day.
These same glands, new
University of Michigan Health System Research shows, also happen to play a key role in providing cells for recovering skin wounds – such as scrapes, burns and ulcers. The findings appear in the American Journal of Pathology.
“Skin ulcers – including those caused by diabetes or bed sores – and other non-healing wounds remain atremendous burden on health services and communities around the world,” says lead author Laure Rittié, of the University of Michigan Medical School.
Now, researchers believe they have discovered one of the body’s secret weapons in healing. “By identifying a key process of wound closure, we can examine drugs with a new target in mind: sweat glands, which are very under-studied,” Rittié says.
Previous understanding of wound closure was that new skin cells originate from hair follicles and from intact skin at the edge of the wound. The findings demonstrate that cells arise from beneath the wound, and suggest that human eccrine sweat glands also store an important reservoir of adult stem cells that can quickly be recruited to aid wound healing.
“We have discovered that humans heal their skin in a very unique way, different from other mammals,” Rittié adds. “The regenerative potential of sweat glands has been one of our body’s best-kept secrets.
Our findings certainly advance our understanding of the normal healing process and will hopefully pave the way for designing better therapies.”
University of Michigan Health System Research shows, also happen to play a key role in providing cells for recovering skin wounds – such as scrapes, burns and ulcers. The findings appear in the American Journal of Pathology.
“Skin ulcers – including those caused by diabetes or bed sores – and other non-healing wounds remain atremendous burden on health services and communities around the world,” says lead author Laure Rittié, of the University of Michigan Medical School.
Now, researchers believe they have discovered one of the body’s secret weapons in healing. “By identifying a key process of wound closure, we can examine drugs with a new target in mind: sweat glands, which are very under-studied,” Rittié says.
Previous understanding of wound closure was that new skin cells originate from hair follicles and from intact skin at the edge of the wound. The findings demonstrate that cells arise from beneath the wound, and suggest that human eccrine sweat glands also store an important reservoir of adult stem cells that can quickly be recruited to aid wound healing.
“We have discovered that humans heal their skin in a very unique way, different from other mammals,” Rittié adds. “The regenerative potential of sweat glands has been one of our body’s best-kept secrets.
Our findings certainly advance our understanding of the normal healing process and will hopefully pave the way for designing better therapies.”
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