title: The role of myofibroblasts in wound healing.
abstract: The importance of proper skin wound healing becomes evident when our body's repair mechanisms fail, leading to either non-healing (chronic) wounds or excessive repair (fibrosis). Chronic wounds are a tremendous burden for patients and global healthcare systems and are on the rise due to their increasing incidence with age and diabetes. Curiously, these same risk factors also sign responsible for the development of hypertrophic scarring and organ fibrosis. Activated repair cells - myofibroblasts - are the main producers and organizers of extracellular matrix which is needed to restore tissue integrity after injury. Too many myofibroblasts working for too long cause tissue contractures that ultimately obstruct organ function. Insufficient myofibroblast activation and activities, in turn, prevents normal wound healing. This short review puts a spotlight on the myofibroblast for those who seek therapeutic targets in the context of dysregulated tissue repair. "Keep your myofibroblasts in balance" is the message.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of tissue repair and regeneration, Matrix dynamics group, faculty of dentistry, university of Toronto, 150, College Street, FitzGerald building, room 234, M5S 3E2 Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: boris.hinz@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hinz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003286:Contracture / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
keywords: Chronic wound; Fibrosis; Hypertrophic scar; Mechanics