Mechanical Stretching Can Modify the Papillary Dermis Pattern and Papillary Fibroblast Characteristics During Skin Regeneration

The study demonstrated that mechanical stretching influenced skin regeneration by modifying the papillary dermis pattern and fibroblast characteristics. Short-term stretching enhanced fibroblast proliferation and extracellular matrix synthesis through the TGFβ1/SMAD2/3 pathway, leading to improved skin regeneration. Conversely, long-term stretching induced premature fibroblast senescence, resulting in poor regeneration. The study involved 10 human patients and a rat model, highlighting the crucial role of fibroblasts in stretching-induced skin regeneration and the potential of TGFβ1 in promoting dermal repair. The findings suggested that mechanical stretching might be a viable approach to enhance skin regeneration, with implications for conditions like scar formation and aging.