Abstract | Fibroblasts and their activated phenotype, myofibroblasts are the primary cell types involved in the contraction associated with dermal wound healing. Recent experimental evidence indicates that the transformation from fibroblasts to myofibroblasts involves two distinct components: the cells must be stimulated by transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) and experience mechanical tension. We review the experimental findings in detail and investigate an extension of the model of dermal wound healing developed by Olsen et al. (1995) to incorporate these phenomena. We also extend their model to include a more biologically realistic form of the growth factor kinetics, again using recent experimental observations. This new framework enables the exploration of the effect of strong interactions between the mechanics and growth factors in dermal wound healing which has not been explored in previous models. This model suggests that it is the strong coupling of the tissue mechanics and the growth factors that determine the quality and type of dermal wound healing and is the overriding driver for the appearance of pathological scarring. Olsen, L., Sherratt, J.A. and Maini, P.K. (1995) A mechanochemical model for adult dermal wound contraction and the permanence of the contracted tissue displacement profile, Journal of Theoretical Biology, 77, 113-28. |