Serotonin Modulation Improves Cutaneous Wound Healing

    November 2024 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”
    S. Matar, Anne‐Cécile Petit, P. Kanaan, Quang Nhat Ngo, M. Alkobtawi, Raouf A. Khalil, C. Al Youssef, Raphaël Gillard, S. Aractingi, Bénédicte Oulès
    TLDR Serotonin helps wounds heal faster.
    The study investigates the role of serotonin (5-HT) in skin homeostasis and wound healing using Tph1-/- mice, which lack peripheral serotonin synthesis. These mice exhibited delayed wound healing, increased immune cell infiltration, and reduced angiogenesis and keratinocyte proliferation. RNAseq analysis revealed overactivation of inflammatory pathways in Tph1-/- wounds. Drug X, a partial agonist of specific 5-HT receptors, improved wound healing by enhancing keratinocyte proliferation, stimulating angiogenesis, and reducing immune cell infiltration in both WT and Tph1-/- mice, as well as in models of altered healing. The findings suggest that 5-HT modulators could be promising therapeutic options for treating impaired wound healing.
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