Pathophysiology and Current Methods for Drug Delivery, Part 1: Normal and Chronic Wounds: Biology, Causes, and Approaches to Care
Acute and chronic wounds affect millions of people in the United States and around the world. In recent decades, clinicians have gained a better understanding of the mechanisms of normal wound repair process and causes of delays in healing. This progress has led to significant improvement in the quality of life of affected patients. This article reviews the latest insights and opportunities for wound repair science and innovations in wound care.
Acute wounds are a common health problem, with 11 million people affected1 and approximately 300,000 people hospitalized yearly in the United States.2 Typically, acute wound healing is a well-organized process leading to predictable tissue repair where platelets, keratinocytes, immune surveillance cells, microvascular cells, and fibroblasts play key roles in the restoration of tissue integrity.3,4 The wound repair process can be divided into 4 temporarily and spatially overlapping phases: coagulation, inflammation, formation of granulation tissue (proliferative phase), and remodeling or scar formation phase … read more