| Summary: |
Wound healing is a fundamental biological process that allows the ordered replacement of dead or injured cells during an inflammatory response, a mechanism that is crucial for survival. Tissue damage can result from several acute or chronic stimuli, including infections, burns, autoimmune reactions and mechanical injury. Although initially beneficial, the healing process can become pathogenic if it continues unchecked, leading to considerable tissue remodeling and the formation of permanent scar tissue. In some cases, it might ultimately cause organ failure and death. Current treatments for fibrotic disorders target the inflammatory cascade, but they have been widely unsuccessful, largely because the mechanisms that are involved in fibrogenesis are now known to be distinct from those involved in inflammation. Hypertrophic scars and keloids represent two different forms of aberrant wound healing in dermal structures, and frequently develop as a consequence of surgery or extensive burn injury. These lesions affect the functional and aesthetic outcome in these patients and treatment available for these patients is sparse and considered ineffective. This reality changes not only life expectancy but also life quality with negative personal, social and economic burden.
The endocannabinoid system is a lipid signaling system, comprising of the endogenous cannabis-like ligands (endocannabinoids), the two most studied being anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). These ligands bind to a family of G-protein-coupled receptors, the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) with a wide tissue distribution. Components of the endocannabinoid system have been discovered in the skin recently and they have been implicated in the regulation of skin cell proliferation, survival and differentiation, the delicate balance of which is a key determinant of proper cutaneous homeostasis. Moreover, our group has recently showed a functional connection between cutaneous endocannabinoid  |
Summary
Wound healing is a fundamental biological process that allows the ordered replacement of dead or injured cells during an inflammatory response, a mechanism that is crucial for survival. Tissue damage can result from several acute or chronic stimuli, including infections, burns, autoimmune reactions and mechanical injury. Although initially beneficial, the healing process can become pathogenic if it continues unchecked, leading to considerable tissue remodeling and the formation of permanent scar tissue. In some cases, it might ultimately cause organ failure and death. Current treatments for fibrotic disorders target the inflammatory cascade, but they have been widely unsuccessful, largely because the mechanisms that are involved in fibrogenesis are now known to be distinct from those involved in inflammation. Hypertrophic scars and keloids represent two different forms of aberrant wound healing in dermal structures, and frequently develop as a consequence of surgery or extensive burn injury. These lesions affect the functional and aesthetic outcome in these patients and treatment available for these patients is sparse and considered ineffective. This reality changes not only life expectancy but also life quality with negative personal, social and economic burden.
The endocannabinoid system is a lipid signaling system, comprising of the endogenous cannabis-like ligands (endocannabinoids), the two most studied being anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). These ligands bind to a family of G-protein-coupled receptors, the cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) with a wide tissue distribution. Components of the endocannabinoid system have been discovered in the skin recently and they have been implicated in the regulation of skin cell proliferation, survival and differentiation, the delicate balance of which is a key determinant of proper cutaneous homeostasis. Moreover, our group has recently showed a functional connection between cutaneous endocannabinoid system and the effect of ultraviolet B radiation.
There are also increasing evidence that the endocannabinoid system may be involved in pathological fibrosis in dermal and soft tissue structures, and that its modulation might limit fibrotic responses. Cannabinoids may behave as profibrotic or antifibrotic agents, depending on their interaction with CB1 or CB2 receptors. These data outlines novel perspective and therapeutic opportunities for the pathological conditions related to abnormal wound healing process. |