Scientists at Monash University have discovered a key molecule vital to the wound healing process that becomes disabled through diseases like diabetes and ageing.
The research published in the journal Nature, reveal the molecule has a startling effect when injected into animal models, causing a drastic acceleration in healing times, with wound closure sped up 250% and muscle regeneration 160%.
The research was headed by Associate Professor Mikaël Martino, a group leader at Monash University’s Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) and EMBL Australia, and Dr Yen-Zhen Lu, a co-author.
Associate Professor Mikaël Martino said the discovery “could transform regenerative medicine, because it sheds light on the crucial role of sensory neurons in orchestrating the repair and regeneration of tissues, offering promising implications for improving patient outcomes.”
Costly, unmet healthcare need
The management of poorly healing wounds costs the global healthcare system about $250 billion a year, leading to chronic and sometimes fatal wounds.
“In adults with diabetes alone – where poor blood flow can lead to quickly worsening wounds that are often very slow or impossible to heal – the lifetime risk of developing a diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), the most common diabetes-related wound, is 20% to 35% and this number is rising with increased longevity and medical complexity of people with diabetes,” Dr Yen-Zhen Lu said.
One in twenty or more than 1.3 million Australians are living with diabetes, costing the Australian healthcare system $3.4 billion in 2020-21, 2.3% of total expenditure on disease.
Type 2 diabetes in particular was responsible for 124,000 years of healthy life lost in Australia in 2023 alone.
In 2011, the disease was the underlying cause of 3% of all deaths in Australia and an underlying or associated cause of 10% of all deaths.
Neuro-immune interactions
The molecule discovered by Monash’s team is a neuropeptide called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).
During the healing process, sensory neuron endings grow into injured skin and muscle tissue, communicating with immune cells through the CGRP neuropeptide.
“Remarkably, this neuropeptide acts on immune cells to control them, facilitating tissue healing after injury,” Associate Professor Martino said.
The researchers found that administering an engineered version of CGRP to mice with neuropathy similar to that seen in diabetic patients led to rapid wound healing and muscle regeneration.
According to Associate Professor Martino, these findings hold significant promise for regenerative medicine, particularly for the treatment of poorly-healing tissues and chronic wounds.
“By harnessing neuro-immune interactions, the team aims to develop innovative therapies that address one of the root causes of impaired tissue healing, offering hope to millions,” he said.
“This study has uncovered significant implications for advancing our understanding of the tissue healing process after acute injury.
“Harnessing the potential of this neuro-immuno-regenerative axis opens new avenues for effective therapies, whether as standalone treatments or in combination with existing therapeutic approaches.”
ASX Companies working in regenerative medicine
Orthocell Ltd (ASX:OCC, OTC:ORHHF) is an ASX-listed tissue and nerve-focused regenerative medicine company that has already achieved commercial sales of its core products, although still in the clinical development stage.
The company has three treatments available on the market:
- Striate+™ – a sterile, resorbable collagen membrane used for guided bone and tissue regeneration in dental applications.
- Remplir™ – a collagen scaffold used in peripheral nerve repair.
- OrthoACI™ – an autologous chondrocyte implantation used for the treatment of articular cartilage defects in the knee and ankle.
OrthoACI™ is a cell therapy not unlike Monash’s new discovery, which aims to treat diseased or damaged tissue by local implantation or injection of native healthy cells where tissue repair is needed.
The company is targeting chronic tendon injuries and cartilage applications, especially of the knee and ankle.
OrthoACI™ uses the patient’s own healthy cartilage cells, called chondrocytes, to assist in the regeneration of cartilage tissue.
The regenerative medicine market size was valued at US$28.62 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow to US$197.08 billion by 2030, at a staggering compounding annual growth rate of 28.2%.