New research holds out hope for safer, speedier wound-healing

With support from The Academy of Medical Sciences’ Springboard Programme, Dr Paul Hiebert is exploring the role of specific proteins in wound healing. Early evidence from Dr Hiebert’s research suggests that there is huge potential for the NRF2 protein, to improve recovery while avoiding long‑term damage, particularly in older patients.

While NRF2‑activating drugs are already used to treat psoriasis, their potential to aid wound care remains largely untapped.

Dr Hiebert, Lecturer in Wound Healing at the Wound Innovation Institute said: “Wounds fail to heal properly in many conditions, from ageing to chronic disease, and there is an urgent need for more innovative treatments. But first, we need to understand, at a cellular level, what goes wrong when the healing process breaks down.”

In healthy healing the body provides oxygen to help repair damaged cells. In some conditions however cells become overwhelmed and this normal healing process can cause further damage. NRF2 is a key antioxidant regulator.

Key to Dr Hiebert’s research is understanding cellular senescence, a state in which cells stop dividing and become functionally “exhausted”. These “zombie” cells can accumulate in wounds, releasing signals that contribute to chronic inflammation and hinder healing, particularly in ageing skin.

The research will analyse wound tissue to identify which cells become “exhausted”, which remain resilient, and how NRF2 influences these pathways. The research will also test whether selectively removing zombie cells through drug therapy preserves faster healing without compromising skin strength.

Dr Hiebert said: “This work is about building the deeper understanding of wound healing biology that is desperately needed to develop safer, more effective therapies.

“If we can control how cells in injured skin respond to the complex and connected challenges of ageing and immune response, we move closer to precision therapies that heal wounds properly and keep them healed.”

By bridging fundamental cell biology with translational wound research, the project strengthens the Wound Innovation Institute’s mission to deliver real‑world solutions for patients living with chronic and complex wounds.

The Academy of Medical Sciences’ Springboard grants support curiosity-driven, discovery-stage research – testing bold ideas with the potential to improve lives, reduce health inequalities and strengthen the UK’s long-term research base. Supported by the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Wellcome and the British Heart Foundation, awards span the full breadth of biomedical and health research.