Function of the Flightless protein in wound repair and scar formation in skin [ 2004 - 2006 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Allison Cowin (Principal investigator) ,  A/Pr Barry Powell ,  Dr Hugh Campbell

Brief description Scarring is the inevitable outcome of wound repair and can cover a spectrum of conditions, from normal fine lines to unsightly, restrictive and deforming scars. Each year in the world over 100 million patients acquire scars, primarily from surgical procedures. Many of these scars cause considerable problems. Over 4 million burn scars occur every year, 70% of them in children. Poor wound healing is a major clinical problem and can result in loss of movement and deformity. These are especially important considerations for children, where their growth places extra demands on healing wounds and grafts, necessitating regular surgical adjustment. Scarring is an area of largely unmet medical need and development of new treatment strategies would have significant impact on public health. Changes in cell adhesion, shape and movement are important processes in wound repair. A framework of filaments, much like guy-ropes that support a tent, help coordinate these events. Remodelling of these filaments, shortening or extending them and making new connections, allows cells to change shape and respond to stimuli. This is a crucial event in repairing wounds and the proteins that perform this are fundamentally important to wound repair. We have discovered a protein in skin, known as Flightless, that is involved in this filament remodelling process. The goal of this project is to determine what Flightless does in wound repair. By changing the amount of this protein and comparing its effect in non-scarring and scarring animal wound healing models we can gain insight into its role in wound healing and scar formation in humans. The development of new animal models in this research and the discovery of the role of Flightless in wound repair will provide exciting new opportunities to improve wound repair and reduce scarring, with significant impact on public health.

Funding Amount $AUD 472,750.00

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant