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Updated: Aug 30, 2025
Microinjection Wound Assay and In vivo Localization of Epidermal Wound Response Reporters in Drosophila Embryos.
Published on: November 1, 2013
Key points for translating wound regenerative agents from in vivo assays in mice to clinical validation
Ariana León-Sosa1, Verónica Castañeda2, Roberto Espinosa-Vallejo3
1Dirección Técnica de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación, Instituto Nacional de Investigación en Salud Pública "Leopoldo Izquieta Pérez"- INSPI,Guayaquil, Ecuador; Escuela de Medicina, Colegio de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador; Instituto de Investigaciones en Biomedicina iBioMed, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Quito, Ecuador; Mito-Act Research Consortium, Quito, Ecuador.
Abstract:
Skin wound healing leads to the recovery of tissue structure and homeostasis after injury. Numerous factors can hamper wound healing and complete recovery of the harmed tissue, causing the formation of scars or chronic wounds. Therapeutic options to improve wound regeneration are limited, possibly due to failure during pre-clinical validation toward clinical trials. In this article, the authors aim to convey key points and provide recommendations for the development of regenerative agents that improve wound healing using mouse models.First, the authors highlight the differences in the wound healing processes of mice and humans. Later, the authors apply a quasi-systematic research approach based on a search algorithm of 32 terms that focuses on in vivomouse model assays of regenerative factors. The authors analyze the top 20 most cited articles of 2241 hits produced by Scopus. The authors focus the search on a period covering the last 10 years (January 2011 to October 2021). The authors synthesize information from the top 20 articles and present the most common type of mouse model used, mouse characteristics (strain, sex, age, weight), surgical wounding technique employed (size, location, equipment), agents tested, methods of wound monitoring, regeneration assessment and key points to consider for the translational potential of these agents. This knowledge will help the scientific community design better in vivo assays and translate their results to further research and clinical validation.
Insights
Developing effective wound healing therapies is challenging. This study provides recommendations for using mouse models in preclinical research to improve the translation of regenerative agents for better wound repair.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Wound Healing Research
- Preclinical Models
Background:
- Skin wound healing is crucial for tissue repair but can be impaired, leading to scars or chronic wounds.
- Current therapeutic options for improving wound regeneration are limited, often due to failures in preclinical validation.
- Mouse models are frequently used to study wound healing, but differences between mice and humans can affect translation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide key insights and recommendations for developing regenerative agents that enhance wound healing.
- To guide the design of more effective in vivo mouse model assays for wound regeneration studies.
- To improve the translational potential of preclinical findings to clinical applications.
Main Methods:
- A quasi-systematic literature search was conducted using 32 terms focused on in vivo mouse models for regenerative factors.
- The top 20 most cited articles from 2241 Scopus hits (January 2011 - October 2021) were analyzed.
- Information synthesis covered mouse model types, characteristics, wounding techniques, agents tested, monitoring, and assessment methods.
Main Results:
- Analysis identified common mouse models, characteristics, and surgical techniques used in wound healing studies.
- Key parameters for evaluating regenerative agents and assessing wound healing outcomes were synthesized.
- Critical factors influencing the translational potential of findings from mouse models were highlighted.
Conclusions:
- Standardizing mouse models and methodologies is essential for robust wound healing research.
- Understanding species-specific differences and optimizing assay design can enhance the translation of regenerative agents.
- This review offers a framework to improve preclinical validation for more successful clinical translation of wound healing therapies.
