When doctors detect elevated levels of SerpinB3 in a blood test, it can signal that something is seriously wrong, from hard-to-treat cancers to severe inflammatory conditions.

SerpinB3 is a critical protein that often reveals when the body’s barrier tissues, like the skin or lungs, are under serious stress from cancer or chronic illness.

But new research from Arizona State University shows that SerpinB3, long recognized as a disease marker, also has a natural role in the body: helping to heal wounds.