How sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen change wound healing and scarring
Official title: Molecular Mechanisms of Hormone-Mediated Sex Differences in Wound Healing
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11393563 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how testosterone and estrogen change the way wounds heal and form scars so future care can be better matched to men and women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $442,444 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM157032-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393563 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with chronic or slow-healing wounds, those with hypertrophic scars, or patients taking testosterone or estrogen therapy would be most relevant to this project.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with simple acute wounds that heal normally or wounds caused by unrelated mechanical issues may not see direct benefit from this work.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, the team uses new lab and animal models plus human tissue and clinical observations to trace how sex hormones alter immune responses and tissue repair. They have shown testosterone can slow healing and that people taking testosterone may heal worse, and they will map the molecular pathways behind those effects. The work also explores how estradiol (a form of estrogen) might speed repair and reduce scarring. The goal is to find hormone-driven targets that could lead to better treatments or tailored wound care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to hormone-informed treatments or care strategies that speed healing and reduce problematic scarring.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies and clinical observations support that testosterone impairs healing and estrogen may help, but the detailed molecular pathways remain largely untested.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: O'brien-Coon, Devin — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: O'brien-Coon, Devin
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Immunomodulatory therapy to speed up healing after oral cavity injuries in kids
A new approach using a drug called FTY720 aims to improve healing and reduce pain after oral injuries or palate surgery in children.
-
Aiming to slow dangerous lung inflammation to help fight bacterial infections like tuberculosis
A patient-facing program tests whether stopping a specific inflammatory cell (Spp1+ macrophages) from overreacting can help control tuberculosis and possibly improve outcomes in other inflammatory diseases.
-
Engineered protein materials to study wound healing and blood vessels
A researcher team at the University of New England is studying how the environment around a protein changes its behavior to better understand wound healing and blood vessel formation.
-
Understanding how healing tissue uses tiny messengers and scaffolds to repair wounds
A study to learn how cells talk to each other and how tiny vesicles and the extracellular matrix help skin wounds heal better.
-
Hormone signals and sex differences in how wounds heal
This grant explores how male- and female-specific hormones affect wound healing and scarring, with the goal of improving treatments for people who heal poorly.
-
Therapeutic extracellular vesicles to boost skin wound healing
A research grant is exploring how tiny cell messengers called extracellular vesicles can be engineered to improve skin wound repair in injury models.
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.