title: Scarless fetal wound healing: a basic science review.
abstract: Scar formation is a major medical problem that can have devastating consequences for patients. The adverse physiological and psychological effects of scars are broad, and there are currently no reliable treatments to prevent scarring. In contrast to adult wounds, early gestation fetal skin wounds repair rapidly and in the absence of scar formation. Despite extensive investigation, the exact mechanisms of scarless fetal wound healing remain largely unknown. For some time, it has been known that significant differences exist among the extracellular matrix, inflammatory response, cellular mediators, and gene expression profiles of fetal and postnatal wounds. These differences may have important implications in scarless wound repair.
authors.affiliation: Stanford, Calif. From the Hagey Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Barrett J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Longaker
authors.forename: H Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Lorenz
mesh_terms: D053624:Blastocyst Inner Cell Mass / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design / Q000639:trends; D012586:Science; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*