Pharmacological YAP activation promotes regenerative repair of cutaneous wounds.
Chronic cutaneous wounds remain a persistent unmet medical need that decrease expectancy and quality of life. Here, we report that topical application of PY-60, a small molecule activator of the transcriptional coactivator YAP, promotes regenerative repair of cutaneous wounds in pig and human models. Pharmacological YAP activation enacts a reversible pro-proliferative transcriptional program in keratinocytes and dermal cells that results in accelerated re-epithelization and regranulation of the wound bed. These results demonstrate that transient topical administration of a YAP activating agent may represent a generalizable therapeutic approach to treating chronic wounds. Overall design: Comparisons of the transcriptomes of primary human keratinocytes treated with PY-60 vs. DMSO.