The wounds that we make in the mouth heal much more quickly than those we suffer in other parts of the body.
Now, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have discovered the cause, and believe that it could be the basis for future treatments to accelerate healing in other areas.
Almost all the cells of the body share the same genetic base. But what differentiates them is how these genes are expressed.
And what the researchers discovered was that the cells of the mouth were expressed in such a way that they were always prepared to heal possible wounds, even before they occurred. And that preparation helped them to heal much faster.
Those responsible for this peculiar genetic expression of the cells of the mouth are two proteins called SOX2 and PITX1.
In fact, when the researchers isolated them and applied them to the skin of the mice, they were able to accelerate the healing of the wounds that were produced in it.
