Investigating Inflammatory Markers in Wound Healing: Understanding Implications and Identifying Artifacts

Abstract

Understanding the complex interplay of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines is crucial in the field of wound healing, as it holds the key to developing effective therapeutics. In the initial stages of wound healing, pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and various chemokines play vital roles in recruiting cells for debris clearance and the recruitment of growth factors. Careful regulation and timely resolution of this early inflammation are essential for optimal wound repair. As the healing process progresses, anti-inflammatory proteins such as IL-10 and IL-4 become instrumental in facilitating the transition to later stages where pro-inflammatory cytokines promote angiogenesis and wound remodeling. This Perspective underscores the complexity of inflammatory cytokines in wound healing research and emphasizes the need for comprehensive and unbiased methodologies in their evaluation. For robust and reliable results in wound-healing research, a more holistic approach is necessary-one that considers the roles, interactions, and timing of biological molecules, alongside careful sampling and evaluation strategies.

Figure 1

(A) Illustration of the wound healing phases: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodeling. (B) M1 and M2 macrophages are distinct activation states of macrophages with different functions and release different inflammatory markers. Adapted from “Wound Healing and Macrophage Polarization Templates”, by BioRender.com (2023).

Figure 2

(A) Illustration demonstrating the interrelated wound healing stages and their overlapped timeline. (B) Role of the inflammatory markers in the transition to the later stages of healing, proliferative, and remodeling phases. (C) Primary sources of artifacts in utilizing the inflammatory cytokines in wound healing research.