Sea Compounds Speed Up Healing

When the skin is cut, the body goes through a series of steps to heal itself. This process can be slowed down by too much inflammation. One pathway that plays a big role in this is the cGAS-STING pathway. This pathway gets activated when cells are stressed or damaged, leading to more inflammation. This can be a problem, especially for wounds that take a long time to heal. Researchers looked into some compounds found in the sea. These compounds are known to block the cGAS-STING pathway. The main compound studied was excavatolide B, along with two of its derivatives, EXCB-61 and EXCB-79. These were tested on rats with deep cuts. The researchers measured the wound size, looked at tissue samples under a microscope, and checked for certain markers. They found that these compounds were not toxic. Excavatolide B, in particular, helped human skin cells move and grow. When applied to the wounds, excavatolide B and EXCB-61 reduced the wound size. EXCB-79 did not have this effect. Looking at the tissue samples, they saw fewer immune cells and mast cells in the wounds treated with these compounds. This suggests that the compounds helped reduce inflammation. They also found that these compounds lowered the levels of certain factors in the cGAS-STING pathway. This includes STING, phosphorylated TANK-binding kinase 1, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells. They also saw more factors that help with blood vessel formation, like vascular endothelial growth factor and CD31. The compounds also increased the presence of M2 macrophages and collagen, which are important for healing. So, these sea-derived compounds might help wounds heal faster by reducing inflammation and promoting blood vessel formation. It is important to note that while these findings are promising, more research is needed. The tests were done on rats, and human skin might react differently. Also, the long-term effects of these compounds are not yet known. Despite these limitations, the results are a step forward in understanding how to speed up wound healing.