Wound heating: Immunological aspects

Wound heating is a complex biological process, comprised of a series of a sequential events aiming to repair injured tissue. The role of the immune system in this process is not only to recognise and combat the newly presented antigens at the site of injury, but also to participate in the debridement of the damaged area and to contribute to the process of heating. In this review, we discuss the molecules and cells of the immune system that participate in tissue repair. We describe the mechanisms of immune recognition during initial insult and the innate and adaptive immune responses to injury. Finally, we address the role of the immune system in regeneration and repair. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.