[Fetal wound healing: current status and new perspectives]

The characteristic of fetal wound healing is scarless wound repair in early gestation. During the last two decades, intensive research efforts have focused on unraveling the molecular regulations underlying the phenomenon of scarless wound healing. Better understanding of synthesis and degradation will enable us to develop important therapeutic options for the prevention and reduction of scarring. The aim of this article is to present an overview, discuss the most important research works of the last two decades on the field of fetal wound healing, and report current therapeutic developments for the modulation of adult wound repair. Recent experimental results using these new therapeutic approaches are very promising and present great possibilities and chances for future surgery.