Physiological wound healing

Abstract

The human Being has three interfaces with the environment: the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, pulmonary tract and the skin. The skin can be exposed to different damaging stimuli, which trigger various biological pathways that will attempt to restore normal physiology. This group of pathways is called wound healing process, which can be divided in three phases: inflammatory, proliferative and remodeling. The first is characterized by homeostasis, the formation of fibrin clot, and migration of phagocytic leukocytes, which will remove foreign substances and micro-organisms. The second involves primarily the migration and proliferation of three classes of cells: fibroblasts, keratinocytes and endothelium, in addition to the deposition of fibronectin on the fibrin scaffold, forming the fibronexus, the secretion of collagen III, and the synthesis of other matrix elements. The fibroblast is largely responsible for these structural changes. The third and last phase changes occur in the pattern of collagen organization and its leading brand, with replacement of collagen III by I, increase in the number of crosslinks between monomers of this substance and orientation prevalent in the lines of skin stress, phenomena that increase the resistance of the wound. The whole healing process is controlled by polypeptides called growth factors, which modify the physiology of their target cells