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Mast cell activity in the healing wound: more than meets the eye?
Author(s) -
Wulff Brian C.,
Wilgus Traci A.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
experimental dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.108
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1600-0625
pISSN - 0906-6705
DOI - 10.1111/exd.12169
Subject(s) - wound healing , inflammation , angiogenesis , scars , mast cell , medicine , immune system , tissue repair , context (archaeology) , immunology , skin repair , phenotype , pathology , biology , cancer research , genetics , paleontology , biomedical engineering , gene
Mast cells ( MC s) are an important part of the innate immune system and are abundant in barrier organs such as the skin. They are known primarily for initiating allergic reactions, but many other biological functions have now been described for these cells. Studies have indicated that during wound repair, MC s enhance acute inflammation, stimulate reepithelialization and angiogenesis, and promote scarring. MC s have also been linked to abnormal healing, with high numbers of MC s observed in chronic wounds, hypertrophic scars and keloids. Although MC s have gained attention in the wound healing field, several unique features of MC s have yet to be examined in the context of cutaneous repair. These include the ability of MC s to: (i) produce anti‐inflammatory mediators; (ii) release mediators without degranulating; and (iii) change their phenotype. Recent findings highlight the complexity of MC s and suggest that more information is needed to understand their complete range of activities during repair.