Zigzag cuts heal faster and have a different healing mechanism – scientists
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Scientists from Singapore found that zigzag wounds heal faster. They also leave a smaller scar than from a direct incision, writes Science Alert with reference to research by scientists from Nanyang Technological University. They monitored wound healing in biosynthetic materials for 64 hours. Scientists have found that wave- or zigzag-shaped slits heal almost five times faster than wounds with straight edges. They hypothesize that this is due to differences in the way cells move. The difference between the healing of a straight and zigzag cut. Photo from the study Professor and chair of the Department of Medical Engineering K. Jimmy Xia and his team took epithelium from a dog’s kidney for the study. Similar cells make up human skin and line internal organs. Embryonic development, tissue repair, and wound healing depend on the ability of these cells to bridge gaps. Scientists made several incisions of different widths and curvatures on the biomaterial: 50, 75 or 100 micrometers. They paid special attention to how the width and curvature of the cuts affect the process. Images showing different stages of healing of synthetic wounds show that in 42 hours, wavy cuts have already healed, while straight cuts have just begun this process. Scientists saw that cells in straight wounds moved along the edges, and in wave-shaped wounds – as if in a vortex. “This allowed the cells to quickly connect with similar cells on the opposite side of the wound edge, forming a bridge and closing the wavy wound gaps faster than straight gaps,” explains biomechanical engineer Xu Hongmei. The range of curvature had no significant effect on the healing rate of undulating wounds, but the width should be small enough to form bridges. “Observations clearly demonstrate that straight and wavy edges provided different geometric constraints for cell migration, creating different patterns of cell movement. Hence, different healing efficiency,” the scientists note in the text of the study. Scientists made another discovery. In cells not involved in wound healing, the nucleus was approximately in the middle. The nucleus of the cells in the zigzag cuts was shifted from the center so as not to be directly above the slit. Probably, the cause of this phenomenon is the strong mechanical tension that occurs in the cells that close the wounds. Read also: “Wounds were bandaged on the go”: how police combat medics saved children from shelling in Donetsk region. VIDEO
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