# Wound healing mechanisms by distinct oral fibroblast population

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2022 · $382,078

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Oral wound healing is characterized by rapid resolution of inflammation and minimal scarring. As it is a prime
example of ideal tissue regeneration, there is a growing interdisciplinary interest in studying the mechanisms of
oral wound healing. Fibroblasts play an essential role in this process and are also implicated in oral diseases
responsible for the global economic burden amounting to 442 billion dollars. Recent advances in connective
tissue biology have elucidated the importance of fibroblast heterogeneity in the pathogenesis of dermal fibrosis
and rheumatoid arthritis. However, the in vivo heterogeneity of oral fibroblasts and thereby a functional
significance of select fibroblast population during oral wound healing is poorly understood. Here, we found that
postnatal Prx1+ cells are found in mouse gingiva and express common markers of fibroblasts. Preliminary data
demonstrate that wounds enriched in Prx1+ cells heal faster with minimal inflammation compared to wounds
that lack these cells. Therefore we will test the overall hypothesis that Prx1+ cells represent distinct oral fibroblast
progenitors and are responsible for rapid tissue regeneration through a mechanism that involves resolution of
inflammation. Aim 1 will utilize an auto-transplantation approach and test the hypothesis that transplanted
Prx1+ cells contribute to accelerated oral wound healing by functioning as mesenchymal progenitors in vivo. Aim
2 will investigate if lineage specific ablation of Prx1+ cells delays wound healing by causing the failure to quickly
resolve inflammation in vivo, and explore mechanisms of immune cell modulation by Prx1+ fibroblasts in co-
culture assays. In Aim 3, we will perform single cell RNA-sequencing to compare transcriptomic profiles of
mesenchymal and leukocyte cell subtypes in Prx1+ enriched oral wounds to those in Prx1-poor wounds in mice.
Moreover, we will test if Prx1-equivalent cells are found in human gingiva by single cell sequencing and in situ
validation. Upon completion, the proposed studies are expected to reveal Prx1+ cells as pro-healing oral
fibroblast subset and provide a significant translational value by implicating the clinical utilization of connective
tissues or ex vivo stem cell therapy that are enriched with Prx1+ fibroblasts.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10358611
- **Project number:** 5R01DE030415-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** KANG I KO
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $382,078
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-04-01 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10358611

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10358611, Wound healing mechanisms by distinct oral fibroblast population (5R01DE030415-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10358611. Licensed CC0.

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