A future without scars: Professor appointed and major funding announced

Launch of the pioneering Healing Foundation Centre at The University of Manchester

Enrique Amaya has been appointed the UK's first Professor of Tissue Regeneration to lead a pioneering £10million initiative at the University of Manchester investigating wound healing and tissue regeneration.

The Healing Foundation Centre marks the beginning of a 25 year commitment between the Healing Foundation - a national charity funding research into all aspects of disfiguring conditions - and the University of Manchester's Faculty of Life Sciences.

Professor Amaya's work will focus on wound healing and tissue regeneration in frog embryos. Frog embryos share the human embryo's ability to heal wounds without scars in a matter of hours. Frogs also have the ability to regenerate tissue, including tails and limbs. By investigating the regenerative capabilities of these animals, ways of improving regenerative capacity in humans will be sought; the underlying genetic and cell biological mechanisms in frogs are essentially the same as those in humans.  Professor Amaya will be working closely with plastic and reconstructive surgeons at Manchester's Wythenshawe Hospital.

Professor Amaya comments, “With the new tools and technologies we have at our disposal, I hope we will be able to make quick progress in our understanding of the basic biology of healing and regeneration.  Within this generation, it will be possible to develop new treatments for amputees, survivors of major burns or trauma and those who are left with scars following surgery, disease or birth defect.  The Healing Foundation Centre is dedicated to a future where wounds heal without scars and perhaps even new limbs can be either partially or completely regrown.”

Olivia Giles survived Meningococcal Septicaemia at the age of 36 and lost the lower half of both arms and legs due to gangrene.  Welcoming the initiative, she said, "Thanks to the skill of my surgeon and his courageous use of pioneering surgical techniques, my elbow and knee joints were saved.  As a result I am able to live an independent life. Without recent advances in medical science, I may not have survived.  Further research into wound healing and ultimately perhaps limb regeneration is incredibly valuable and will have huge implications not only for the quality of life of people like me in the future but most importantly increase the capability of our medics and scientists to save more lives”.

Professor Sir John Temple, Research Chairman of the Healing Foundation, noted, “No other organisation is doing more to push the barriers of scientific knowledge so firmly in favour of those with disfigurement or visible loss of function.  This unique partnership between the Healing Foundation and the University of Manchester is exciting and ambitious.  The potential benefits for literally millions of people worldwide, are enormous”.

The Healing Foundation was established in 1999 to champion the cause of people living with disfigurement and visible loss of function by funding research into pioneering surgical and psychological healing techniques.

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What would you do if your appearance was suddenly altered forever?

Revolutionary new study into the psychology of disfigurement

A new charity called the Healing Foundation has awarded a record-breaking half a million pounds to the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR) at the University of the West of England, Bristol to fund a new study into the psychology of disfigurement. This is the largest single investment in a study of this type that has ever taken place, not only in the UK, but in Europe. The study will provide valuable insights into why some people cope with disfigurement better than others. This information can then be used to help those who experience difficulty coming to terms with their altered appearance.

Mrs Pam Warren, survivor of the Paddington rail crash in October 1999 commented, ”The treatment of physical injuries is well understood and a great deal of time and effort has been spent on understanding the problems associated with mental trauma, but coping with disfigurement has, I think, largely been overlooked. The ground breaking work of the Healing Foundation in this regard has my wholehearted support. I know from personal experience that it is not how the world looks at me but how I look at the world that matters.”

Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK are affected by visible disfigurement, whether due to congenital abnormalities, disease or scarring from accidents. The psychological and social impact of having a disfigurement can be enormous and life-changing, especially in today's image-conscious society which can marginalise those who appear different. Alongside any accompanying physical obstacles, adapting psychologically to the change in appearance is often one of the most difficult aspects of rehabilitation and recovery. However, up until now, very little research has been carried out to understand the mechanisms of this process. This study will therefore make a major difference in terms of gaining a better understanding of how to help patients go through adjusting to disfigurement.

Professor Nichola Rumsey, the director of the study, explains the ideas behind the research. “It appears from research already carried out that the differences in adjustment between individuals are not related to the severity or cause of the condition. We want to find out why it is that one person can adapt very quickly and lead a full and active life, while another might end up avoiding social situations. This information should enable us to help those who find adapting to a disfigurement difficult, to adapt more quickly.”

The Research team will be working with hospital clinics and GPs and will be looking at a whole range of disfiguring conditions including skin conditions, such as acne, head and neck cancers, burns, amputations and hand surgery, as well as birth marks such as port wine stains. The study will involve around 1,500 people from the South West, London and the Sheffield/Bradford area.  They will be asked about their feelings, as well as how they manage with a 'visible difference', what support they have had and how they feel about their appearance.  They will also be asked to comment on how they see their difference, how noticeable they think it is and how they think others see it. 

The Healing Foundation is a unique new professional and scientifically respected organisation that provides funds for research into disfigurement. It was established to champion the cause of people living with disfigurement and visible loss of function by funding research into pioneering surgical and psychological healing techniques.

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For information about taking part in this study, visit the Centre for Appearance Research website or contact Dr James Daniel on James.Daniel@uwe.ac.uk, telephone 0117 328 3975 or Liz Payne on Elizabeth3.Payne@uwe.ac.uk, telephone 0117 328 3913.

Mr Chris Baldwin, Healing Foundation and Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh joint Research Fellow, will be studying the potential to develop a synthetic dermal skin replacement. He says “the ability of a skin graft to take depends on a number of factors including blood vessel growth. I hope that his research will lead to the development of a new product which actively promotes angiogenesis (the synthesis of new blood vessels), a crucial step in wound healing”. If successful, this project will transform the outcome of chronic wounds, in particular burns, accelerating wound healing, reducing mortality and improving scarring and function.

Professor Sir John Temple, Chairman of the Healing Foundation's Research Council, said “this research promises to lead the way to a change in the treatment of severe burns. Such fellowships offer clinicians a thorough grounding in research techniques which will remain with them throughout their careers”.

For more information on this fellowship please click here.

Mr Chris Milner of the University of Leicester beat off stiff competition to secure this prestigious award worth up to £50,000 a year for two years. He will be studying novel targets for the prevention of endothelial (blood vessel) leakage in severe wounds. Commenting on the project, Mr Milner said, “major burn injury produces inflammation that affects the entire body leading to the leakage of fluid from smaller blood vessels into the surrounding tissue. This is very dangerous as it can stop organs from working properly and it contributes to the mortality associated with extensive burns”. He will be studying a control mechanism which may counteract this that takes place within the vessel wall linings of cells and involving a protein called VE-PTP.

Martyn Coomer, secretary of the Royal College of Surgeons Research Board said “We are delighted to be continuing the College's important partnership with the Healing Foundation, continuing to invest in first class clinical research”.

The Healing Foundation Buckingham Palace Reception, 18^th May 2005 , attended by our Patron, Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex. David Jones announced on the evening that the Foundation has raised some £5 million towards the Appeal Target of £12 million, adding that “We have achieved so much in the two and a half years since our launch, all due to the fantastic and overwhelming support that we have received. However, there is still more that needs to be done to make a real and lasting impact in the field of disfigurement and loss of function.”

HRH The Countess of Wessex and David Jones CBE, Appeal Chairman

HRH The Countess of Wessex talking to David Roodyn, Trustee and Ambassador of the Healing Foundation and Maya Adcock

The Countess of Wessex with Hugh Twiss, Honorary Treasurer and his wife Clare

Novel techniques that could see blood vessels develop in laboratory- grown skin have been pioneered by a Healing Foundation Research Fellow in one of the charity's first ever projects.

Commenting on the research which was supported by the Healing Foundation in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons of England, Mr Parbinder Sahota of the University of Sheffield said, “this research, funded by the Healing Foundation, will help both patients suffering from extensive burns and those requiring reconstructive surgery. It will also have relevance to conventional skin grafts enhancing knowledge about how to re-establish blood vessels in the skin". Further research is underway at the University of Sheffield, to take these findings forward.

Dr Wendy Edwards, the Healing Foundation Research and Training Manager, said “important advances are being made in understanding the biology of blood vessel growth, a process which is crucial for successful skin grafting. This knowledge will in turn lead to better treatments for burn patients in the future”.

For a detailed final report on this project please click here.