A Scarless Healing Tale: Comparing Homeostasis and Wound Healing of Oral Mucosa With Skin and Esophagus

July 2021 in “ Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology ”

Diana Pereira, Inês Sequeira

oral mucosa skin oesophagus wound healing epithelial stem cells fibroblast subpopulations tissue regeneration cell therapy bioengineering fibrosis

Studysummary This review examines the regeneration capabilities of skin, oesophagus, and oral mucosa, highlighting the oral mucosa's unique scarless healing properties and the potential of cell therapy to improve scar reduction in wound healing. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The review compared the healing processes and cellular architecture of skin, oral mucosa, and oesophagus, highlighting the oral mucosa's exceptional regenerative potential and scarless healing properties. It found that oral mucosa fibroblasts, similar to fetal skin, exhibited enhanced migratory capacity and resistance to scarring, unlike skin fibroblasts which led to scar formation. The study emphasized the role of epithelial-stromal interactions and keratin expression differences in tissue homeostasis and healing. Oral mucosa's unique environment, reduced inflammation, and faster keratinocyte proliferation contributed to its scarless healing. The document also explored the potential of tissue-engineered oral mucosa (TEOM) for regenerative therapies, suggesting its advantages over skin cells due to its scarless healing capabilities, and highlighted its applications in various tissue repairs, including skin and esophageal healing.

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Research cited in this study

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