World’s first research programme to identify scarring gene launched

A world-leading £1.5 million research programme that aims to achieve scar free healing within a generation has been launched today [26 November] by The Scar Free Foundation, the only medical research charity which focuses solely on scarring. The five-year research study led by the University of Bristol will identify the gene(s) that causes scarring and inform future treatments. Scarring affects over 20 million people in the UK*and The Scar Free Foundation Programme of Wound Healing Research at the University of Bristol will be the first study of its kind in the world - combining large scale population health data with model organism studies to analyse the role that genes play in wound repair and scar formation. Led by Paul Martin , Professor of Cell Biology, Nic Timpson , Professor of Genetic Epidemiology, and Dr Beck Richardson , Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Bristol; the research team will identify genetic differences and investigate the genetic make-up of scarring by drawing on DNA data from large groups of people including: people with BCG vaccination scarring, children with cleft lip surgery, women with Caesarean section scarring and patients with internal lung scarring. This data will be combined with scientific studies focusing on the translucent zebrafish, using live imaging and genetic analysis to model wound healing and scar formation. Professor Paul Martin said: " The Scar Free Foundation's investment with the University of Bristol gives us a unique opportunity to undertake world class research into the genetics of scarring.