3 ms·

Skin can ‘sniff’ certain aromas that help it heal faster

• newsbinator 5y ago
  > We found that skin cells possess a receptor called OR2AT4 that responds to the scent of sandalwood, frequently used in incense sticks and perfumes. And we were able to activate this receptor using Sandalore, a synthetic sandalwood scent. > Using samples that included cultured keratinocyte cells and human skin, we discovered that activating OR2AT4 triggered a signal pathway that led to a higher concentration of calcium in the cells. This in turn led to an increase in the proliferation and a quicker migration of keratinocytes – processes which typically facilitate wound healing. Scratching experiments on isolated human skin tissue confirmed this wound healing effect.