New skin research could help slow signs of ageing
Researchers have made a scientific discovery that in time could be used to slow the signs of ageing.
A team has discovered how the human body creates skin from a stem cell, and even reproduced small amounts of skin in a lab.
The research is part of a study to understand how every part of the human body is created, one cell at a time.
As well as combatting ageing, the findings could also be used to produce artificial skin for transplantation and prevent scarring.
The Human Cell Atlas project is one of the most ambitious research programmes in biology.
One of the project’s leaders, Prof Muzlifah Haniffa, said it would help scientists treat diseases more effectively, but also find new ways of keeping us healthier for longer, and perhaps even keep us younger-looking.
“If we can manipulate the skin and prevent ageing we will have fewer wrinkles,” said Prof Haniffa of the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
“If we can understand how cells change from their initial development to ageing in adulthood you can then try and say, ‘How do I rejuvenate organs, make the heart younger, how do I make the skin younger?’”
