Clinical and experimental observations of foetal wound healing have led to a reappraisal of dermal wound repair. Because of the major contribution of collagen to scar tissue, the presence and role of collagen in scarless healing in foetal animal models has been a source of some controversy. The experimental work described in this thesis clearly establishes that foetal animals are able to deposit abundant collagen in traditional wound healing models. The emphasis of speculation subsequently shifted to consider the role of other matrix elements, particularly hyaluronan, which has particularly high levels in foetal wounds. Some investigators have proposed that the more 'fluid' nature of the matrix facilitates the remodelling of the deposited collagen. Experimental evidence presented in this thesis suggests, however, that while the physico-chemical properties of hyaluronan are important in influencing cell and matrix interactions, more specific and controllable interactions may be due to the action of proteins associated with the hyaluronan.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:241535 |
| Date | January 1995 |
| Creators | Burd, David Andrew Ross |
| Publisher | University of Aberdeen |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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