Human skin transcriptome during superficial cutaneous wound healing

TLDR

Epidermal healing is essential for skin defense and homeostasis, and impaired wound repair increases infection risk. The study aimed to characterize the temporal gene expression changes during normal human epidermal reepithelialization by sampling donor site wounds at baseline, immediately post‑harvest, and at days 3 and 7. Twenty‑five biopsies from eight patients were profiled with genome‑wide microarrays to map gene expression over time. The analysis revealed novel genes and expression patterns underlying normal epidermal wound healing, providing a foundational resource for translating experimental model data.

Abstract

Abstract Healing of the epidermis is a crucial process for maintaining the skin's defense integrity and its resistance to environmental threats. Compromised wound healing renders the individual readily vulnerable to infections and loss of body homeostasis. To clarify the human response of reepithelialization, we biopsied split‐thickness skin graft donor site wounds immediately before and after harvesting, as well as during the healing process 3 and 7 days thereafter. In all, 25 biopsies from eight patients qualified for the study. All samples were analyzed by genome‐wide microarrays. Here, we identified the genes associated with normal skin reepithelialization over time and organized them by similarities according to their induction or suppression patterns during wound healing. Our results provide the first elaborate insight into the transcriptome during normal human epidermal wound healing. The data not only reveal novel genes associated with epidermal wound healing but also provide a fundamental basis for the translational interpretation of data acquired from experimental models.