Macrophages Are Necessary for Skin Regeneration During Tissue Expansion

The study conducted by Ding et al. in 2019 found that macrophages are crucial for skin regeneration during tissue expansion, a technique used in reconstructive surgery. Using a rat model, the researchers showed that depletion of macrophages led to poorer outcomes, including reduced skin expansion, thinner skin, lower cell proliferation, decreased collagen synthesis, and impaired vascularization. The study also noted a phenotypic switch from M1 to M2 macrophages during the expansion process and a decrease in growth factor secretion upon macrophage depletion. The results indicate that macrophages are integral to several aspects of skin regeneration, including cell proliferation, collagen production, tissue vascularization, and growth factor expression. The study involved 68 rats across four groups, with 16 in the expanded group without treatment, 17 in the non-expanded control group, 18 in the expanded group with macrophage depletion, and 17 in the non-expanded group with liposome treatment. These findings suggest that targeting macrophage activity could be a potential therapeutic approach to enhance skin growth during tissue expansion.