Gene expression profiling of human skin donor site wound healing to guide novel regenerative therapies
Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Information on the molecular details of human skin wound healing has been limited due to several types of challenges faced when data from basic research are adapted for use in clinical studies. Comprehensive genomewide data on gene behaviour during the various phases of wound healing have not been available, although many techniques, such as gene expression microarrays and RNA sequencing would, have made it possible. The aim of my doctoral thesis was to examine human skin regeneration and to develop ways to enhance wound healing, especially in burn wound treatment. The main goal was to characterize the gene expression transcriptome of human donor site wounds over time. Skin biopsies were collected from patients before and after split-thickness skin graft harvesting. The first biopsy of intact skin was obtained immediately before the site was wounded by the graft harvest. Immediately thereafter, a second biopsy was performed to serve as a sample an of acute wound. Later, the next biopsies were obtained on the 3rd, 7th, 14th and 21st postoperative days. The skin graft donor site wound was chosen because it is controllably made in the operating room and represents a normal, uncomplicated, and consistently healing superficial skin wound. Negative pressure was applied to some of the donor sites to clarify the effects of this widely used therapy on gene expression in a healing wound. Moreover, this approach enabled the initial evaluation of the gene expression profiling principle for clinical research purposes. The tissue samples collected were homogenized, and ribonucleic acid (RNA) was isolated. Thereafter, genomewide microarrays were performed on all samples. The gene profiles at different time points were compared, and data were presented as fold-change alterations in gene expression. As a result, the data reveals various types of gene expression patterns relating to, loss of expression due to tissue removal, down-regulation or induction of expression as the wound-healing cascade advances or regain of expression according to tissue regeneration. The results also give molecular level information on the effects of negative-pressure wound therapy. These studies provide the first insights into the transcriptome during normal human superficial cutaneous wound healing. The data reveal novel genes associated with epidermal wound healing. Moreover, they provide a fundamental background for future studies that can be utilized in the clinical evaluation of the effects of therapies.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Author: Kristo Nuutila
Language: English
Topic: Wound Healing and Treatments
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2173818099