African Mouse Can Regrow Skin Without Scarring, Say Scientists; Discovery to Benefit Human Healing?

The African spiny mouse and the X-Men's Wolverine may have more in common than most people would care to admit.

A study, published in the scientific journal Nature, found that the spiny mouse has an abundance of a molecule known as collagen III in its biology, accelerating its tissue regeneration and preventing scarring.

First, some background. Without much pressure, the spiny mouse's tail separates from the trunk of its body, an adaptation that helps it escape from predators. Likewise, the mouse's skin breaks with 77 times less energy than most common house mice. Similar to humans, the spiny mouse's skin is continuous and can tear at any point. Yet, the mammal's tail grows back, and even significant skin wounds heal in less than 30 days with no discoloration or hair follicle problems.

In order to test the spiny mouse's "healing factor," scientists punched holes in its ears and observed how the animal's body responded to the injury of the medley of components that comprise the ear, such as hair, skin and cartilage. The wounds in the African mouse's ears healed fully, a development out of reach for humans, as our ears easily scar and don't regenerate.

The researchers discovered that the African spiny mouse underwent a process known as re-epithelialization, during which epidermal cells kick start healing by communicating with healing factors below the skin at a fast pace. Our skin's healing involves "wound-bed tissue," which results in scarring.

What does any of this mean? Scientists hope to use the discoveries made in the spiny mouse study, specifically the role of collagen III, to move forward in developing tissue repair treatments for people in the future. Although any practical application for this study is a long way off, researchers now have a stronger foundation to draw from.