How body tissues heal after injury
Mechanisms of Tissue Repair
Learning how tissues repair themselves after damage so people with hard-to-heal wounds or harmful scarring might benefit.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11327254 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are watching how cells move, multiply, and rebuild the scaffolding around them after injury, using a powerful animal model to reveal basic repair steps. They use very fast live imaging and genetic tools in fruit flies to see events that happen in milliseconds to seconds after wounding. The team works with physicists and engineers to measure forces and the behavior of the extracellular matrix during repair. Insights from this work aim to point toward ways to encourage healing or prevent excessive scarring in humans.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with chronic, non-healing wounds, excessive scarring, or fibrotic tissue who are interested in future treatment options would be the most relevant group.
Not a fit: People with conditions unrelated to tissue repair or wound healing are unlikely to see direct benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new treatments that speed healing of chronic wounds and reduce fibrosis and scarring.
How similar studies have performed: Basic studies in animals have identified repair pathways before, but translating those discoveries into human therapies is still early and this approach remains exploratory.
Where this research is happening
Nashville, UNITED STATES
- Vanderbilt University — Nashville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Page-Mccaw, Andrea — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Page-Mccaw, Andrea
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.