TLDR Lanyu pigs show that partial-thickness wounds can partially regenerate important skin structures, which may help improve human skin healing.
The study examined the healing process of full-thickness (FT) and partial-thickness (PT) wounds in Lanyu pigs to understand human skin wound healing, focusing on the regeneration of rete ridges. Rete ridges are crucial for skin's mechanical function and are poorly regenerated after severe wounding. FT wounds led to significant scarring, absence of hair follicle neogenesis, and abnormal molecular and extracellular matrix changes, with no rete ridge formation. In contrast, PT wounds allowed for incomplete rete ridge regeneration and the reappearance of an alkaline phosphatase (ALP)+ cell population, which is associated with tissue regeneration. The study suggests that the preservation of this cell population may be key to preventing scarring and that the Lanyu pig is a relevant model for human skin due to similar skin architecture and cellular components. The findings highlight the importance of understanding rete ridge biology for developing regenerative therapies, although the number of pigs used in the study was not mentioned.
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