Healing of full-thickness murine skin wounds containing nanofibers using splints for efficient reepithelialization and to avoid contracture

Abstract

Wound healing process is the outcome of a series of actions and combined with collaborative process involving concerted efforts of multiple cell types. The dynamic series of events constituting each of these overlapping rather than discrete stages of wound healing increases its complexity and the necessity to understand it. The contrasting mechanisms of wound healing employed by mouse (via wound contraction) and humans (via reepithelialization) puts forth the need of a model closely mimicking human wound-healing and hence comes the applicability of the mouse excisional wound splinting model. Use of silicone-based splints has demonstrated their effectiveness in aptly resembling the human reepithelialization mediated wound healing by preventing contraction during healing. The rising popularity of nanofiber-based treatments for wound healing through sustained release of factors/molecules promoting wound closure can be potentially implemented in association with this model to determine its efficacy in wound management in a more humanized way.