01 Jun White Blood Cells Reprogrammed To Promote Wound Healing

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Jean-François Cailhier

Jean-François Cailhier, M.D., Ph.D., FRCP(c)
Professeur Agrégé de Clinique/ Associate Professor
Département de Médecine, Faculté de Médecine
Université de Montreal

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Milk Fat Globule Epidermal Growth Factor-8 (MFG-E8) is released by apoptotic cells and activated cells in the skin. Its effect on endothelial cells and pericytes was previously reported to accelerate wound healing.

In our wound healing model, we demonstrated that MFG-E8 was important to reprogram skin macrophages into pro-repair cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that administration of exogenous MFG-E8 was able to accelerate wound healing in WT and MFG-E8 KO mice by generating M2 macrophages. Furthermore, to highlight to importance of MFG-E8 on macrophage reprogramming, adoptive transfer of MFG-E8-treated macrophages also promoted wound healing. These pro-repair effects seem to be dependent on the production of a crucial fibroblast growth factor, basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF), by macrophages which promoted fibroblast migration and proliferation.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Adoptive transfer of MFG-E8-treated macrophages can be used to promote wound healing. They secrete growth factors that stimulate fibroblasts to close the wound faster. This could be used to promote healing of diabetic patient wounds and burns in patients in burn units.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: We will try to apply our results to human cell models before looking at adoptive cell therapy strategies to promote wound healing in patients. 

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: I can refer to the press release from my research center: http://crchum.chumontreal.qc.ca/en/news-briefs/healing-wounds-cell-therapy
No disclosure.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

Patrick Laplante, Frédéric Brillant-Marquis, Marie-Joëlle Brissette, Benjamin Joannette-Pilon, Romain Cayrol, Victor Kokta, Jean-François Cailhier. MFG-E8 Reprogramming of Macrophages Promotes Wound Healing by Increased bFGF Production and Fibroblast Functions. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017; DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2017.04.030

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Last Updated on June 1, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD