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SPECIALITY
Fibroblasts treated with alphaCT1 respond by doing what Gourdie describes as the “fibroblast dance.” The cells undergo pivoting
motions that result in frequent direction changes. Gourdie speculates this unusual pattern of cellular movement dictates how the
cells knit the collagen bundles together that will form the scar. (Gourdie Lab / Virginia Tech)
procedures are performed in the drug’s mechanism is playing out
8 United States each year -- often as we thought it would,” said
resulting in noticeable scarring Ghatnekar, FirstString’s president
which makes the tissue less pliable. on patients. Methods to reduce and chief executive officer.
By contrast, scars that were applied scarring after operations are
with the drug had a collagen matrix sought after. The company has closed $55
resembling unwounded skin. million in Series B, C, and D
Related experiments were repeated “This is some of the most exciting Funding since 2018, and is
using guinea pig and rat models basic science research in wound evaluating the drug’s use in a
and yielded similar results. healing I’ve seen in a long time,” variety of applications, including
said Kurtis Moyer, chief of plastic surgical wound healing, chronic
The researchers also analyzed and reconstructive surgery for wound healing, radiation therapy
human skin cells cultured in Carilion Clinic and a professor wound healing, and corneal
a dish to watch how the drug of surgery at the Virginia Tech tissue repair.
influenced cellular activity in real- Carilion School of Medicine.
time. They discovered that the Moyer was not involved in the “We alter how the human
presence of the molecule caused study, but has collaborated with body responds to injury by
fibroblasts to stretch out like a the Gourdie lab on wound healing shifting the balance from
rubber band, then snap back into research for 20 years. healing by scarring to healing
shape and change direction. by regeneration. The medical
“This shows real promise and could applications for our technology
“We call it the fibroblast dance,” potentially revolutionize what we do are far-ranging,” Ghatnekar said.
said Gourdie, who is also the in plastic surgery,” Moyer said.
Commonwealth Research Story Source:
Commercialization Fund Eminent AlphaCT1 influences wound healing Materials provided by Virginia
Scholar in Heart Reparative by temporarily interrupting cell Tech. Original written by
Medicine Research and a professor signaling functions of connexin 43, Whitney Slightham. Note:
of biomedical engineering and a gap junction channel protein. Content may be edited for style
mechanics in Virginia Tech’s and length.
College of Engineering. Gourdie and his lab invented
the molecule and discovered its Journal Reference:
This unusual fibroblast behavior in useful effects on wound healing 1. Jade Montgomery, William J.
the treated tissue appears to have with his former postdoctoral Richardson, Spencer Marsh, J.
a positive effect on scar formation, associate, Gautam Ghatnekar, a Matthew Rhett, Francis Bustos,
Gourdie says. decade ago. Together they formed Katherine Degen, Gautam S.
a biopharmaceutical company, Ghatnekar, Christina L. Grek,
“In unwounded skin, the collagen FirstString Research Inc., to bring L. Jane Jourdan, Jeffrey W.
is enmeshed, allowing the tissue to alphaCT1 to market. Holmes, Robert G. Gourdie. The
move and stretch in all directions. connexin 43 carboxyl terminal
The fibroblasts’ directional The molecule is currently being mimetic peptide αCT1 prompts
changes appear to influence how evaluated in Phase III clinical differentiation of a collagen scar
the collagen matrix forms during testing in bilateral breast surgery matrix in humans resembling
scarring,” Gourdie said. patients. unwounded skin. The FASEB
Journal, 2021; 35 (8) DOI:
More than 300 million surgical “These findings validate that the 10.1096/fj.202001881R
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