Research Profiles – Skin Research: Healthy All Over

When it comes to our skin, we tend to think in purely aesthetic terms. Is it youthful and glowing, or wrinkled and aged? Smooth or blemished? Covered up or exposed?

But your skin is so much more than something you wear. It is the largest organ in your body. It is your first line of defence against invading viruses and bacteria. It keeps you hydrated and helps regulate your body temperature. In other words, it keeps you alive.

Injuries and diseases that compromise skin can be devastating and difficult to treat. But researchers are exploring better ways to help restore this life-saving barrier for burn victims, cancer patients and persons with skin-diseases.

The following profiles describe the work of CIHR-funded skin researchers.

• Avoiding Rejection: Dr. Aziz Ghahary at the University of British Columbia is developing a biological skin substitute that may solve the problem of skin-transplant rejection.
• Promoting Regrowth: Dr. Jeff Biernaskie at the University of Calgary explores the potential applications of dermal stem cells for improving skin grafts.
• Turning Back the Clock: Dr. David Granville at the University of British Columbia is studying an enzyme that might be a treatment target for skin damage and blood vessel disease.