The Role of Stem Cells in Cutaneous Wound Healing: What Do We Really Know?

Wound repair is a complex process involving the orchestrated interaction of multiple growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, and cell types. Dysregulation of this process leads to problems such as excessive healing in the form of keloids and hypertrophic scars and chronic, nonhealing wounds. These issues have broad global implications. Stem cells offer enormous potential for enhancing tissue repair and regeneration following injury. The rapidly developing fields of stem cell biology and skin tissue engineering create translational opportunities for the development of novel stem cell based wound-healing therapies. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 127 (Suppl.): 10S, 2011.)