The research team found that histatin, a small protein in saliva previously only believed to kill bacteria was responsible for wound healing.
This research may offer hope to people suffering from chronic wounds related to diabetes and other disorders, as well as traumatic injuries and burns. In addition, because the compounds can be mass produced, they have the potential to become as common as antibiotic creams and rubbing alcohol.
"We hope our finding is ultimately beneficial for people suffering from wounds that never healed, such as foot ulcers and wounds due to diabetes, as well as for treatment of injuries resulting in trauma such as burns," said Menno Oudhoff, first author of the report.
"This study not only answer the biological question of why animals lick their wounds," said Gerald Weissmann, Editor in Chief of The FASEB Journal. "That also explains why wounds in the mouth, such as wound after tooth extraction, heal much faster than the wounds on the skin and bones. It also directs us to begin looking at saliva as a source for new drugs."
