Salmon skin cell discovery could improve wound healing and fish health in aquaculture

Scientists discover stem-like skin cells in salmon that aid healing, offering new ways to boost fish health and survival in aquaculture

Scientists have identified a unique group of skin cells in Atlantic salmon that could hold the key to faster wound healing and improved tissue regeneration – an advance that may help lower mortality rates in fish farming.

The study, published in BMC Biology, reveals that fibroblast-like stem cells, known as mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), play a central role in the later stages of healing, when skin tissue is remodeled to regain strength and integrity. The discovery offers fresh insight into how salmon repair damaged skin and maintain long-term tissue health, with promising implications for aquaculture welfare and resilience.

“These findings have potentially far-reaching implications for aquaculture,” said Dr. Rose Ruiz Daniels from the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture. “Barrier tissue health, particularly of the skin and gills, is a major challenge in Atlantic salmon farming and a leading cause of mortality in sea cages.

This study is a collaborative effort across institutions, including the University of Stirling, the Roslin Institute, Nofima and the University of Prince Edward Island. Using advanced cell profiling technologies – single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics – the researchers tracked skin cell behavior over time during the wound healing process.

“We found MSCs at both the wound site and in intact skin, suggesting these adult stem cells are a stable and functional part of salmon skin, and likely to be involved in maintaining its barrier and structural properties,” said Daniels. “These cells become more transcriptionally active during the remodeling stage of healing and show signs of differentiating into multiple tissue types, including bone and fat. This hints at a broader regenerative capacity in fish skin than previously understood, potentially linking repair processes in the skin to those in deeper tissues like muscle, scales and connective tissue.”

MSC-like cells are well characterized in mammals, but this study suggests that, in teleost fish such as salmon, these cells may take on a wider range of regenerative roles. This raises the possibility that fish skin regeneration may operate through more flexible cellular pathways than in terrestrial vertebrates. The study also maps the spatial niches of various MSC subclusters, laying the groundwork for future studies aimed at manipulating these cells to improve tissue repair, resilience and overall fish health.

“There is an urgent need for innovative biotechnological approaches to enhance fish health, as aquaculture also faces mounting challenges from climate change, including heightened disease risks and increased thermal uncertainties,” said Daniels.

Read the full study.