The role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in wound healing: a review

RB Diller, AJ Tabor - Biomimetics, 2022 - mdpi.com
RB Diller, AJ Tabor
Biomimetics, 2022mdpi.com
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a 3-dimensional structure and an essential component in
all human tissues. It is comprised of varying proteins, including collagens, elastin, and
smaller quantities of structural proteins. Studies have demonstrated the ECM aids in cellular
adherence, tissue anchoring, cellular signaling, and recruitment of cells. During times of
integumentary injury or damage, either acute or chronic, the ECM is damaged. Through a
series of overlapping events called the wound healing phases—hemostasis, inflammation …
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a 3-dimensional structure and an essential component in all human tissues. It is comprised of varying proteins, including collagens, elastin, and smaller quantities of structural proteins. Studies have demonstrated the ECM aids in cellular adherence, tissue anchoring, cellular signaling, and recruitment of cells. During times of integumentary injury or damage, either acute or chronic, the ECM is damaged. Through a series of overlapping events called the wound healing phases—hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling—the ECM is synthesized and ideally returned to its native state. This article synthesizes current and historical literature to demonstrate the involvement of the ECM in the varying phases of the wound healing cascade.
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