A team of biologists from the Ruhr University Bochum in Germany that olfactory receptors are not just confined in the nasal area but also in many parts of the body including the liver, heart, kidneys and even in the sperm. In fact, the skin is filled with these receptors. All the 15 olfactory receptors in the nose can be found in the body.
Smell has been one of the oldest human ability. However, scientists have a difficult time to actually explain its faculty. Until in the 1990s, that biologists won a Nobel prize by explaining and discovering the chemical receptors in the nose.
Dr. Hanns Hatt, the lead researcher of the study, said that they tried exposing one of the receptors called OR2AT4 to sandalwood odor (Sandalore) and it made series of molecular signals to induce healing of injured tissue. They actually tried on humans and when they exposed the injured skin (abrasions) to Sandalore and it appeared that the injuries healed 30% faster than usual.
Furthermore, according to their study back in 2003, it showed that there are actually olfactory receptors in the testes. It is a chemical guide for the sperm to find its way to the ovum for fertilization. Hence, it opened a new door in medicine, on how these olfactory receptors can help in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
Some of the receptors manifested signs that they can actually kick start tissue healing. Wound healing was characterized as production and proliferation of cells to promote new cells. Skin repair will happen.
For years, this topic on the olfactory receptors and chemical reactions happening in the nose as well in the body has been studied by biologists. Now, they are slowly gaining understanding and enlightenment on their true nature and how they work. The sense of smell is actually a big mystery for most experts.
