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Eye injury: Healing corneal wounds Targeting a protein that suppresses cell proliferation may speed up the healing of wounds to the eye. The cornea forms a transparent coating over the iris and pupil, protecting the eye from injury. The molecular mechanisms that modulate the wound healing response in the outer layers of the cornea are unclear. Using human cells and mouse models, Jungmook Lyu at Konyang University, Daejeon, South Korea, and co-workers have uncovered the role of two proteins, Sestrin2 and YAP, in corneal repair. YAP regulates the cell proliferation needed for repair, but high levels of Sestrin2 can suppress YAP activity. The expression of Sestrin2 is naturally reduced during wound healing, and this activates both YAP and its associated pathways, speeding up the repair process. The researchers suggest Sestrin2 could be a useful therapeutic target.