University of Bristol

When humans are injured, our bodies repair the wound as quickly as possible with scar tissue. This scar tissue is permanent; we cannot remove it naturally or regenerate the original tissue that was lost. Some people barely scar at all, while others form large keloid scars.

In contrast, there are some animals like zebrafish that can heal their wounds without permanent scars.

The secrets behind why some people scar better than others, and why some animals don’t scar at all, are in our genes. Our pioneering research at the University of Bristol aims to uncover the genes that control scarring.

Established in 2020, The Scar Free Foundation Programme of Wound Healing Research combines Bristol’s established expertise in wound healing biology and population-based cohort studies of human disease.

There are 2 projects in the 5-year programme. The programme is led by Professor Paul Martin.