Dermatologic clinics
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The fibrosis and scar formation that characterize adult wound healing are also the cause of clinical problems; scar contracture, hypertrophic scar, and pulmonary and hepatic fibrosis are only a few examples. Studies of fetal wound healing can provide an insight into the initiation and regulation of a scarless repair process akin to regeneration. Studies of fetal repair have already suggested mechanisms that might favorably alter adult healing. ⋯ It has been recognized that the addition of TGF-beta to fetal wounds causes an adultlike healing response with fibrosis and inflammation. A subsequent study using neutralizing antibody to TGF-beta in adult wounds showed enhanced healing with a more normal dermal architecture with fewer macrophages, fewer blood vessels, and less collagen. As our understanding of regenerative tissue repair increases, the opportunities to modulate adult fibrotic conditions should expand.