title: Granzyme B in injury, inflammation, and repair.
abstract: Fragile skin and susceptibility to skin tearing are major problems among the elderly and can be complicated further by impaired wound healing. Non-healing wounds fail to progress through the normal stages of healing and enter a state of chronic inflammation featuring increased proteolytic activity. Increased expression of the serine protease granzyme B is observed during prolonged inflammation and is implicated in the pathogenesis of several chronic inflammatory diseases. Although its role in cytotoxic lymphocyte-mediated apoptosis is well established, granzyme B can also degrade extracellular matrix proteins and alter inflammation if present in the extracellular milieu. The present review focuses on the emerging evidence for the involvement of granzyme B in chronic inflammation, impaired wound healing, and age-related skin fragility.
authors.affiliation: UBC James Hogg Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 166-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hiebert
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Granville
mesh_terms: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D053804:Granzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000201:enzymology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D015595:Skin Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D053804:Granzymes