Role of Inflammation in Tissue Regeneration and Repair

Inflammation plays critical roles in tissue repair and regeneration. After tissue injury, inflammatory immune cells are recruited to the wound site, facilitate wound debridement, and produce several chemokines, cytokines, metabolites, and growth factors that signal to activate other immune cells as well as tissue specific stem cells to initiate the tissue repair and regeneration. Depending on regenerative capacity of a tissue and the grade of the inflammatory response, the outcome is determined. Imperfect inflammatory response leads to aberrant accretion of collagenous connective tissue referred to as fibrosis. Under physiological conditions, the fibrotic tissues are replaced by healthy tissues; however, if this well-orchestrated process becomes deregulated, the tissue becomes progressively fibrotic, which may lead to development of diseases.