Molecular mechanisms of wound healing and fibrosis

The outcome of the body’s acute or chronic response to injury, fibrosis, is estimated to be responsible for almost fifty percent of deaths in the world. Wound healing and scarring is a very visible form of fibrosis and as humans we will encounter many wounds in our lifetimes. The study of the molecular basis of how wounds heal the way that they do is thus significant not only in addressing a clear translational gap to reduce the burden of visible scars, but also in identifying antifibrotic targets for other forms of fibrosis as well. The recent strides made in molecular approaches to study wound healing and fibrosis have allowed for exciting discoveries to be made in this space, though defining a target that universally addresses wound healing or fibrosis more broadly remains elusive.

The purpose of this Collection is to disseminate the most recent research and advancements in the molecular mechanisms that underlie wound healing and all other forms of fibrosis, including basic, translational, and clinical studies. Further, the Collection seeks to provide a comprehensive review of the field’s current understanding of wound healing and fibrosis, and offer expert insights into the steps that need to be taken to push this knowledge from the benchtop to a clinical setting.

The topics will include, but are not limited to:

• Molecular mechanisms underlying wound healing and/or fibrosis
• Models to study tissue regeneration
• Translational studies exploring potential anti-fibrotic targets
• Novel techniques to identify and analyze fibrosis
• Cellular/ fibroblast heterogeneity during fibrosis
• Burden of chronic fibrosis

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3 and SDG 9.