According to a study by Dr Sandra Reiger, Hydrogen peroxide promotes nerve regenertaion and wound healing
Zebrafish are widely used in modern biomedical research since they share more than 70% of the human genome. They also possess regeneration capabilities. Furthermore, Dr. Sandra Rieger’s research has been utilizing zebrafish for years. The research is on appendage regeneration and nerve damage at the University of Miami.
After her successful results utilizing zebrafish, in a recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, Dr Sandra Rieger expanded her research. She worked on the regenerative potential of H2O2 for wound repair and regeneration of nerves.
Riegers discovered that the epidermis produces hydrogen peroxide, which is also responsible for promoting nerve regeneration after an injury.
Rieger stated regarding the discovery,
It was a great discovery, but at the time we did not know the exact molecular mechanisms that drove nerve regeneration after injury.
Rieger and her colleagues studied the mechanism behind the nerve regeneration capability of H2O2 in her latest study. They used time-lapse imaging to study the process. In addition to fluorescent labelling of proteins in zebrafish and mutant analysis.
Time-lapse imaging provides a detailed view of the biological processes and relationships between nerves and skin, as well as how these interactions lead to regeneration,” explained Rieger. “The findings we sought will answer the question of how the skin affects regeneration, as the skin is so important in producing factors that are essential to the regeneration process.
The study revealed that hydrogen peroxide reacts to the skin’s Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor. It is essential for remodelling the skin and helps in nerve regeneration in the wound. Reiger said,
This is vital for the restoration of the skin. However, we discovered that if hydrogen peroxide is not present in neurons, nerve endings also cannot regenerate.
She further explained that hydrogen peroxide is needed for regeneration of the skin and the neurons’ never endings.
It appears that both neurons and skin require hydrogen peroxide to coordinate the regeneration of their nerve endings.
Reiger published her first study in 2011. Now, nearly a decade after, she is working on the molecular functions of hydrogen peroxide in the stimulation of nerve regeneration. It is expected that the research will make way for more studies in the future. Eventually leading to the discovery of new and improved therapies for restoration of the skin and functions of the nervous system.
