Though humans have few biological advantages over other species, they haven't unlocked the healing factor that can leave the wound without scars. Doctors have now found a way to manipulate wounds to heal as the regenerated skin rather than scar tissue. The method involves transforming the most common type of cells found in wounds into fat cells – something that was previously thought to be impossible in humans. When any wound occurs on the body, special cells called myofibroblasts go to work to repair the damaged skin by reinforcing it with extra collagen, the protein that makes up skin tissue.
The additional collagen strengthens the skin, but the skin now lacks its ordinary elasticity, sweat glands, and hair follicles. When the wound is minor, the myofibroblasts die off, leaving behind healthy skin. That doesn’t happen in humans with bigger wounds, and so the result is a scar, a patch…
