Date: 25/06/08

Burns expert Clinical Professor Fiona Wood is leading a study that looks at the genetic basis of ageing in the skin and how this impacts on wound healing and scarring.

The McComb Research Foundation based at Royal Perth Hospital, in collaboration with the Centre for Comparative Genomics at Murdoch University will explore the genetic changes seen in the aging of skin.

Prof Wood said as the population ages, it will become increasingly important to understand how the skin responds to injury.

She said: “It is clinically observed that the risk of severe scarring reduces with age. Understanding the genetic basis will allow development of therapies to reduce scarring.”

It is hoped that the information gathered by this study will contribute to the progress towards scarless healing.

To complete the study the Hospital needs another 31 healthy Caucasian male volunteers aged 41 years or older.

Volunteers will have a single small (3mm) skin biopsy taken from their back that should heal with no scarring. The procedure takes a few minutes.

To fit the criteria for the study volunteers must be non-smokers and not taking regular prescription medications.

Contact Robyn Riley on 0439 697 891 to register an interest in taking part in the study.

(click on the image to view the poster)
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