In a landmark discovery, researchers have moved toward a more complete understanding of how skin wounds heal.  Scientists at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine discovered that Vitamin D3 plays a pivotal role in the chain of events that promote healing and fighting wound infections. It also explains why people that do not absorb enough Vitamin D from sunlight, such as African Americans, have a higher risk of skin infection.

 

The researchers found that skin wounds produce a chemical (cathelicidin) that fights infection and signals the production of Vitamin D3. The Vitamin D3 works with certain genes to detect germs and trigger the production of even more cathelicidin to eliminate the infection. This exciting discovery opens the door for the next step in the process, developing Vitamin D3 medications to help people heal better and to treat skin conditions, such as acne and atopic dermatitis.