# Transcriptional Regulation of Wound Healing in Human Gingiva and Skin

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · 2020 · $51,320

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This application proposes a customized research training plan designed to promote the development of the
applicant into an independent investigator. The plan includes advanced training in both bioinformatics and
laboratory experimentation, along with tailored professional and career development opportunities. The training
plan is supported by the outstanding availability of local and institutional resources at UIC. The proposed
research will examine the mechanisms that control scar formation, a common result of the healing response.
Scars are a fibrous mass of disorganized collagen, extracellular matrix, and fibroblasts. Scar formation can
lead to significant long term impairments of the organ system affected. Excessive scar formation is also a
barrier to regenerative strategies, including those that target the complex tissues of the craniofacial region.
One tissue that exhibits rapid and nearly scarless healing is the oral mucosa. Wound healing of oral mucosa is
differentiated from cutaneous healing by a faster re-epithelialization, a shortened inflammatory phase, a brief
angiogenic response, and minimal scar formation. The goal of this project is to gain a comprehensive
understanding of the transcriptional regulation of wound healing over time in the oral mucosa and skin. The
research plan utilizes a systems biology approach to learn how the oral cavity implements a scarless
transcriptional response to injury, and how the skin healing response leads to scarring. We hypothesize that
the transcriptional regulatory networks of oral and cutaneous wounds are intrinsically different, and
that gene regulation by key transcription factors is responsible for the differential healing phenotypes
between these two tissues. Utilizing a unique human microarray dataset of >95 samples from experimental
skin and gingival wounds, our studies will focus on transcription factors (TFs), proteins that can activate or
repress the transcription of a large number of genes in a coordinated fashion. Aim 1 will utilize a network-
based approach to identify TFs that orchestrate the dynamic gene expression changes in wound healing of
human gingiva and skin. Specifically, Aim 1 will a) identify TFs that uniquely target genes in oral or skin
healing, b) discover shared TFs that regulate wound healing in both tissues, and c) predict candidate scar-
promoting TFs. Downstream biological pathways targeted by these TFs will be discerned. Aim 2 will utilize in
vivo and in vitro wound models to determine the role of candidate scar-promoting TFs. We will use an in vivo
siRNA-based approach to knock down candidate scar-promoting TFs in murine skin wounds. TFs whose in
vivo repression leads to decreased scar formation and/or accelerated wound closure will be further studied in
more extensive in vivo mechanistic studies. In vitro studies will provide mechanistic information about these
critical TFs. Together, the Aims will provide new information about the role of TFs in...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9890781
- **Project number:** 5F31DE028747-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Trevor Leonardo
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $51,320
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-03-01 → 2023-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9890781

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9890781, Transcriptional Regulation of Wound Healing in Human Gingiva and Skin (5F31DE028747-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9890781. Licensed CC0.

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