TRPV4, an ion channel, is found in neurons classically associated with touch, called Aβ low-threshold mechanoreceptors. New research indicates that TRPV4 can generate itch, but it also helps trigger a negative feedback signal, a neural message that tells the spinal cord and brain that scratching has been sufficient. Image Courtesy of Roberta Gualdani Researchers have discovered that the ion channel TRPV4 plays a critical role in regulating the body's built-in "stop-scratching

DKK3 in keratinocytes orchestrates radiation-induced skin hyperplasia, dermatitis, and fibrosis. Radiation-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase DKK3 expression in keratinocytes, which subsequently activates canonical Wnt signaling through autocrine TGF-β signaling. Elevated DKK3 levels in keratinocytes drive hyperproliferation and hyperplasia, promoting the polarization of macrophages toward a profibrotic phenotype. These polarized macrophages, in turn, upregulate..

Drs. Michael Longaker (L), Derrick Wan (C), and Dayan Li (R). Image courtesy Stanford Medicine News Facial wounds may hold the key to minimizing scarring, according to new preclinical research that studied why the face heals differently than the trunk and extremities. The findings, published Jan. 22, 2026, in Cell , outline a neural crest–derived fibroblast program and a ROBO2–EP300 signalling pathway that together drive a more regenerative, less-fibrotic pattern of repair.​

Photo by Svdmolen via Wikimedia Commons Researchers at the University of Arizona have identified a previously unknown population of circulating immune cells that play a critical role in fibrosis. The findings, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering , add to the understanding of the healing process and could lead to new strategies for preventing or treating fibrosis. Fibrosis contributes to nearly half of all deaths in developed countries, including conditions such as pulm

Stefania Nicoli, PhD. Photo courtesy Yale School of Medicine The outer surface of the skin, noted for its regenerative processes, may owe its resilience to lessons learned before birth. In a study published October 10 in Nature Communications , researchers at Yale School of Medicine report that embryonic skin stem cells establish the physical and molecular groundwork that allows the body to repair itself throughout life. Led by Kaelyn Sumigray, PhD, and Stefania Nicoli, PhD,

Early research findings suggest that treatment with umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cell conditioned medium (MSC-CM) may be...

A team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has developed an experimental...

The newly designed ExoPatch, being removed from a sample of mouse skin, successfully distinguished melanoma from healthy skin in mice. A...