The Sweat Glands That Help Heal Wounds

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MEDICAL SCHOOL, MICHIGAN, USA. Researchers have recently discovered that wounds on human skin heal naturally with the help of eccrine glands. Eccrine glands are the major sweat glands of the human body which can be found virtually in all skin. They are also the sweat glands responsible in producing an odorless and clear liquid substance which is made up entirely of water and sodium chloride.

Unlike any other animals, the human skin actually depends mostly on eccrine glands to heal wounds in general. Before the study, it was thought that wounds are healed by generating new skin cells from the skin at the edges of the wound or from the hair follicles of the skin. However, it has been discovered that the human skin has also one type of sweat gland that animals don’t.

In this case, it’s the eccrine glands. The team of researchers who is responsible for this discovery is led by Laure Rittié from the University of Michigan Medical School. They also used a laser to create minor wounds in the 31 volunteers for the study. After a week, they checked the wounds on the volunteers so they could see where the new skin cells have grown. They also discovered that new cells have formed around the eccrine glands four days after the volunteers were wounded.

This development only suggests that the glands actually contain a reserve of adult stem cells which can be used to help repair wounds when needed. As compared to animals, humans have three times more eccrine glands than hair follicles. Laure Rittié also said that this discovery is actually the first step in identifying new therapies in wound healing.