The fire-bellied toad is a very primitive group of frogs, and the large-webbed bell toad (The Yunnan Firebelly toad) is one of them. It has this name because the webs on its hind limbs are particularly large and well-developed.

Like many frogs, the skin of the large-webbed bell toad is rough and covered with scrofula of various sizes on the entire dorsal surface, while the ventral skin is smooth. Its skin secretions are highly toxic, making it the most poisonous frog in China.

By studying the skin proteins of the large-webbed bell toad, experts have revealed the mechanism by which the pore-forming protein complex stimulates scar-free tissue repair. In the early stage, the first novel pore-forming protein and trefoil factor complex were discovered in the large-webbed bell toad. The endogenous protein machinery was found to stimulate vesicle production, form membrane channels in cell endocytosis and lysosomes and regulate their functions.

The researchers further found that the complex can stimulate tissue repair, in contrast to epidermal growth factors, which are currently widely used in clinical practice. The complex not only promotes wound healing by accelerating re-epithelialization of skin tissue damage, but also has the characteristics of reducing wound edema, promoting scar-free healing, and protecting against drug-resistant bacterial infection.

Trauma or surgery will leave scars. Severe scars affect the appearance and lead to clinical dysfunction. In the future, scarless wound healing may depend on the large-webbed bell toad.