Beauty consciouspeople now neednot lose sleep overscars. Wounds frominjury or an operation. more oftenthan not leavebehind uglyreminders in theform of scars. Now,A stitch in time researcher MarkFerguson at the University ofManchester UK, offers hope in the formof a toothpaste-like gel which, ifsmeared on the wound, prevents itfrom forming a scar, reports NewScientist, Vol 147, No 1996.
Building on the fact that foetuswounds heal without a scar, Fergusonstudied the biochemistry of adultwounds, where he found that adultsproduce wound healing compounds -also called transforming growth factorsbeta-1 and beta-2, in excess of what isrequired.
The growth factors bind together ina single molecule called "latency associated peptide" or LAP. The sugars present on the surface of LAP bind to thefibroblast cells forming the fibrous protein collagen or scar tissue at the site ofthe wound. The size of the scar isdirectly propotional to the amount ofcollagen released.
The solution to the problem lay insomehow inhibiting coliagen forma-tion. Ferguson found that a sugar FMsent on the surface of the LAP - mnose-6-phosphate - when admigtered alone could prevent collagen Amation. This sugar blocks the recepowsites of LAP by eliminating them totally.
To study the effectiv, Mgel, trials were conducted on pigssheep. Ferguson even tested the ;W19himself by making two identical cutsahis arm and then applied the gel onwound leaving the other to heal onown. -The treated wound is not Apletely invisible, but it is much, mless noticiable than the untreated 0nehe admitted.
Volunteers am awaiting trials viait will help the Manchester scientistfigure out the correct dose. Hi Atious,plans include people who haveundergone minor operations and WAto study the effectiveness of the gel onmore serious cases and bum victims.