Zebrafish and human DNA are over 70% similar, and the fish is widely used for biomedical research, particularly in its capacity for appendage and nerve damage regeneration. Now, the researcher who discovered the role of hydrogen peroxide in these restorative processes delves deeper in a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).
In 2011, Dr Sandra Rieger made the groundbreaking discovery that hydrogen peroxide is produced in the epidermis and is responsible for promoting nerve regeneration following injury.
Dr Rieger stated, “It was a great discovery, but at the time we did not know the exact molecular mechanisms that drove nerve regeneration after injury.”
In her latest study, Rieger and her colleagues investigated how hydrogen peroxide stimulates nerve regeneration. They studied this process using time-lapse imaging with fluorescent labelling of proteins in zebrafish and mutant analysis.
“Time-lapse imaging provides a detailed view of the biological processes and relationships between nerves and skin, as well as how these interactions lead to regeneration,” explained Dr Rieger. “The findings we sought will answer the question of how the skin affects regeneration, as the skin is so important in producing factors that are essential to the regeneration process.”
Hydrogen peroxide was found to react to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) in the skin, which is essential for skin remodelling and aids nerve regrowth into the wound. “This is vital for the restoration of the skin,” said Dr Rieger.
“However, we discovered that if hydrogen peroxide is not present in neurons, nerve endings also cannot regenerate,” Dr Rieger continued. “It appears that both neurons and skin require hydrogen peroxide to coordinate the regeneration of their nerve endings.”
It is hoped that these findings will pave the way for future studies that lead to improved therapies for restoring skin and nervous system functions.
Source: University of Miami
