Investigating the diseased extracellular matrix in fibrotic scars

Keloids are a pathological healing response that result in scars that overgrow the boundary of the initial wound area with no known cause or cure. Our lack of understanding is due to an insufficient framework to study this phenomenon; there is no animal model that mimics the disease and research relies on primary clinical samples from individual patients, which slows the pace of research. This project aims to develop an in vitro model of scarring, characterising the altered composition and mechanics of the extracellular matrix, in order to elucidate causes of and treatments for the disease.