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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
Murine Model of Wound Healing
Published on: May 28, 2013
Impaired wound healing in mice with a disrupted plasminogen gene
Abstract:
Activation of plasminogen (Plg) has been proposed to play a role in proteolytic degradation of extracellular matrices in tissue remodeling events, including wound healing. However, there has been no definitive proof of involvement of Plg in such processes. We now report that healing of skin wounds is severely impaired in mice made deficient in Plg by targeted gene disruption. The results demonstrate that Plg is required for normal repair of skin wounds in mice and support the assumption that it also plays a central role in other disease processes involving extracellular matrix degradation, such as cancer invasion.
Insights
Plasminogen (Plg) is essential for skin wound healing. Mice lacking Plg showed severely impaired wound repair, demonstrating its critical role in tissue remodeling and suggesting involvement in diseases like cancer invasion.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Wound Healing Research
Background:
- Plasminogen (Plg) activation is implicated in extracellular matrix degradation during tissue remodeling.
- Previous evidence for Plg's role in processes like wound healing was inconclusive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To definitively investigate the role of plasminogen in skin wound healing.
- To provide genetic evidence for plasminogen's function in tissue repair.
Main Methods:
- Generation of plasminogen-deficient mice using targeted gene disruption.
- Assessment of skin wound healing in wild-type versus plasminogen-deficient mice.
Main Results:
- Skin wound healing was severely impaired in mice lacking plasminogen.
- The results provide the first definitive proof of plasminogen's necessity for normal skin wound repair.
Conclusions:
- Plasminogen is a critical requirement for effective skin wound healing in mice.
- These findings support plasminogen's central role in extracellular matrix degradation in various pathological processes, including cancer invasion.
