Epigenetic regulation of wound healing and fibrosis

Wound healing is a normal physiological response to tissue injury which can occur in any organ. Mechanisms that orchestrate wound healing in different organs are surprisingly generic, involving generation of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts by differentiation processes that require extensive alterations in gene expression. This process and indeed phenotype of cells are orchestrated by the combined influences of molecular components of epigenome including DNA methylation, vast array of posttranslational modifications of the histone protein constituents of chromatin and regulatory noncoding RNAs of which microRNAs (miRs) are the most extensively studied.

Numerous studies from the last 12 months show all the three epigenetic mechanisms to be regulating generation and apoptosis of myofibroblasts in organs affected by perturbed wound healing. Furthermore, these mechanisms are involved in fibrotic disease itself, with some miRs and epigenetic drugs being tested for their therapeutic potential.

Fields of wound healing and fibrosis will be enriched over the next decade by plethora of new information regarding epigenetic control mechanisms which will hopefully provide new advances in diagnostics and prognostics. With the design of ever more specific epigenetic drugs, we may improve our ability to therapeutically optimize wound healing and prevent fibrosis in chronic disease and ageing.