How immune cells help skin heal
Mechanisms of immune-epithelial crosstalk in tissue repair
This project looks at how specific immune cells and their signals help skin wounds close, with the goal of informing better care for people with chronic or slow-healing wounds.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11250141 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers are studying how immune cells that live in healthy skin become activated after injury and talk to skin cells to drive repair. In lab models they remove or alter individual immune cell types and follow wound closure, and they track signaling molecules like IL-17A/F and the receptor IL-17RC in the skin. The team also explores how this signaling turns on HIF1a protein inside skin cells, which appears important for re-growing the wound surface. Results are based on controlled experiments performed by the Mount Sinai group using animal and tissue models to map these molecular interactions.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with chronic or slow-healing skin wounds or with immune-related problems that impair wound repair would be the most relevant patient group.
Not a fit: People without skin-wound problems or those with conditions unrelated to skin repair are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new ways to boost healing and reduce chronic, non-healing wounds.
How similar studies have performed: Prior work has shown IL-17 pathways affect skin inflammation and repair in animals and humans, but targeting IL-17/HIF1a specifically for wound healing is a relatively new and mostly preclinical approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Naik, Shruti — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Naik, Shruti
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.