Inflammasomes in wound healing and fibrosis

Inflammasome signalling and downstream cytokine responses mediated by the inflammasome have been found to play an important role, not only in wound healing but also in fibrosis. The inflammasome regulates the secretion of IL-1 beta and IL-18 cytokines, and both are critical for the repair of damaged tissue and play a role in fibrosis. However, what dictates the fine balance between normal wound healing versus fibrosis is yet to be fully elucidated. Further investigations into the role of the inflammasomes in these pathologies will be important for the discovery of novel therapeutics that can abrogate fibrosis or promote wound healing in chronic disease.Copyright (c) 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.