Fetuin-A: A Major Fetal Serum Protein That Promotes Wound Closure and Scarless Healing

The study explored the role of fetuin-A, a major fetal serum protein, in scarless wound healing using a fetal ovine burn model. Researchers observed that fetuin-A was highly expressed in fetal skin, especially in the basal layer of the epidermis and dermis during hair follicle formation. Although its expression did not change significantly after burn injuries, it was upregulated in the suprabasal layers of the epidermis in both fetal and postnatal skin. In vitro experiments showed that fetuin-A enhanced wound closure in human keratinocyte cultures by increasing cell migration. The findings indicated that fetuin-A was crucial for wound healing and could aid in scarless healing by influencing growth factor pathways involved in tissue repair.