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The simplest gash to the skin can cause unwanted and ugly scars that just seem to can't go away.

But now, New York University researchers are saying that have developed a new technique to reduce or eliminate skin scars.

The strategy was published in the FASEB Journal.

They say agents that block receptors for adenosine, a molecule generated from ATP which is used by the body to provide energy to muscles, can be applied topically to healing wounds to reduce scar size, yielding skin that feels more like the original, unscarred skin.

Bruce N. Cronstein, a researcher involved in the study from the Division of Translational Medicine in the Department of Medicine at New York University School of Medicine, said he hopes this new report can be a helpful tool in the healing process.  

"Scars can be disfiguring and, if extensive enough, can lead to diminished function and quality of life," Cronstein said. "We hope that our findings may lead to new agents that diminish scarring and disfigurement following burns, wounds, or even illnesses that destroy skin and lead to a better quality of life for victims of these traumas."

According to the report, "when the skin or other tissues are wounded, ATP leaks from the damaged cells and is then converted to adenosine which promotes healing. Scars form when adenosine continues to be produced at the wound site after the injury is healed, leading to larger, thicker scars than what may have otherwise been there."

Editor-in-Chief of the FASEB Journal Gerald Weissmann said although most scars can be hardly seen, the emotional effects are adverse.

 "For some, scars can severely disfigure not only the body, but the mind," Weissmann said. "Finding ways to prevent scarring after wounds or surgery has the potential to improve the quality of life for those who suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, now and for generations to come."