Transcriptional regulation of wound inflammation

The attraction and activation of immune cells is an important response of the skin to injury and allows an efficient defense against invading pathogens. In addition, immune cells fulfill various functions that are important for the repair process. An exaggerated inflammatory response, however, is a hallmark of chronic, non-healing wounds. Therefore, it is essential to strictly control and coordinate the levels and activities of various immune cells in normal and wounded skin. Recent studies provided insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the inflammatory response after wounding, and various transcriptional regulators involved in this process have been identified. This review summarizes our current knowledge on the function of different transcription factors in wound repair, with particular emphasis on proteins with a documented role in the control of wound inflammation.