Skin is the largest organ covering the entire outside of the body. Our skin is tough and pliable, forming the body’s protective shield against heat, light, chemical and physical action. Whenever the barrier is compromised with a wound or a cut, first our skin need to kick into action.
But, mostly it appears scars tissue. Although protein is essential for normal skin tissue. when it’s growing to heals wounds, the collagen fibers form a scar. Doctors can do their best to minimize scar tissue from forming, but most of the time there’s little they can do to prevent a scar altogether.
Jeon EY, Choi B-H, Jung D, Hwang BH, Cha HJ.
There’s also a substance called decorin, which helps organize collagen into a neater structure. But it is an expensive stuff, and tricky to produce in large enough quantities for medical use. So, by having a concern about it, now researchers have come up with a new substance that heals wounds from mussels proteins.e.,  healing power from mussels.
Scientists from the Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea have invented a new scar glue from mussel adhesive protein. They use decorin mechanism and combine it with a peptide that binds to collagen.
Scientists tested their newly invented glue on rats. They spread the glue on deep, 8-millimetre-wide (0.3 inches) wounds and shield with plastic to keep the healing environment moist.
The glue shows effects in just 10 days. The wounds were 99% closed up by day 11, and were fully recovered with very little scarring by day 28. In addition, the rats had essentially grown new skin on their wounds, with all the usual features.
Scientists noted, “It was possible because the glue is better at regulating collagen fiber growth as opposed to skin that’s left to its own devices to repair itself.”
Now, researchers are planning to test the glue on pig skin, which is largely similar to ours.
Allison Cowin at the University of South Australia said, “If this can be replicated in humans, it might be the next big thing for scar therapy.”