Research Reveals Serine's Role in Accelerating Wound Healing

A groundbreaking study conducted by researchers at Rockefeller University has unveiled that restricting the amino acid serine, commonly found in various foods, has the potential to significantly accelerate the healing of skin wounds. Published in the journal Cell Metabolism on July 17, 2025, the findings illuminate a crucial biochemical pathway that directs hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) to prioritize skin repair over hair growth when the body is under metabolic stress.

The research team, led by Jesse Novak, an MD-PhD student at Weill Cornell's Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, focused on how nutrient deficits, particularly serine levels, influence the behavior of stem cells in the skin. "Our findings suggest that we might be able to speed up the healing of skin wounds by manipulating serine levels through diet or medications," Novak stated. The study highlights how the skin's HFSCs can switch roles from maintaining hair growth to aiding wound repair, particularly when the body is under stress from nutrient shortages.

Historically, the role of amino acids in cellular processes has been a focal point of research. Serine, a non-essential amino acid, is abundant in dietary sources such as meat, grains, and dairy products. Previous studies from the Fuchs lab indicated that pre-cancerous skin stem cells develop an addiction to serine, suggesting that restricting serine may prevent tumor formation. However, the impact of serine deprivation on normal tissue functions, especially in wound healing, remained largely unexplored until now.

The research utilized a series of metabolic stress tests on HFSCs, depriving them of serine or genetically modifying mice to inhibit serine production. The results indicated that low serine levels activate an integrated stress response (ISR), prompting HFSCs to divert energy away from hair production toward skin repair. This reprioritization becomes even more pronounced in the presence of skin injuries combined with nutrient deficits.

Elaine Fuchs, a leading researcher and Professor at Rockefeller University, emphasized the implications of the study, stating, "No one likes to lose hair, but when it comes down to survival in stressful times, repairing the epidermis takes precedence. A missing patch of hair isn’t a threat to an animal, but an unhealed wound is."

The research also explored the possibility of enhancing hair growth through serine supplementation. However, Novak noted that the body regulates serine levels tightly, limiting the efficacy of high-serine diets. "While we were able to partially rescue hair regeneration in stem cells by replenishing serine through diet, the overall response remains tightly controlled by the body," he explained.

Future research aims to identify whether other amino acids share a similar capacity to influence stem cell behavior and to investigate the therapeutic potential of serine manipulation in clinical settings.

This study not only advances our understanding of amino acid metabolism in wound healing but also opens avenues for developing dietary and pharmacological strategies to optimize tissue regeneration in clinical practices. As the team continues their investigations, the broader implications of these findings could reshape approaches to treating wounds and managing skin health.