Skin repair and scar formation: the central role of TGF-β

Abstract

Wound healing is a complex process that we have only recently begun to understand. Central to wound repair is transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), a cytokine secreted by several different cell types involved in healing. TGF-β has diverse effects, depending upon the tissue studied. This review focuses on healing in skin, particularly the phases of cutaneous wound repair and the role of TGF-β in normal and impaired wound-healing models. It also explores TGF-β activity in scarless foetal wound healing. Knowledge of TGF-β function in scarless repair is critical to improving healing in clinical scenarios, such as diabetic wounds and hypertrophic scars.