Apoptosis in Wound Repair

Fibrosis that occurs in skin as a result of the wound healing process is referred to as a scar. Scar formation can have serious health consequences ranging from the cosmetic to compromised function of an organ or limb. Recently, the disappearance of blood vessels has been related to fibrosis in lung, liver, heart, and kidney. This proposal will identify factors produced by blood vessels as they die and disappear, and will assess the effect of these factors on the fibroblast cells that are primarily responsible for scar formation in a healing skin wound. Understanding this interaction may help to develop drugs or therapies that can prevent scarring.