Role of myofibroblasts in normal and pathological periodontal wound healing. 2018

P C Smith
School of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Myofibroblasts represent specific subpopulations of cells with important roles in tissue remodeling in both health and disease. They are not usually found in resting healthy tissues. However, they increase in number during the proliferative phase of wound healing. In these conditions, myofibroblasts secrete and organize different molecular components of the extracellular matrix that with time will reconstitute and hopefully regenerate the damaged tissue. Importantly, these cell populations must be eliminated after wound healing has been completed. However, deficiencies in their differentiation or the persistence of this cell population has been associated with the development of delayed wound healing and fibrosis, respectively. In the present review, we analyze the involvement of myofibroblasts in periodontal wound healing and their potential contribution to tissue homeostasis and disease.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D006706 Homeostasis The processes whereby the internal environment of an organism tends to remain balanced and stable. Autoregulation
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014945 Wound Healing Restoration of integrity to traumatized tissue. Healing, Wound,Healings, Wound,Wound Healings
D058628 Myofibroblasts Spindle-shaped cells with characteristic CONTRACTILE PROTEINS and structures that contribute to the WOUND HEALING process. They occur in GRANULATION TISSUE and also in pathological processes such as FIBROSIS. Myofibroblast
D019214 Gingival Overgrowth Excessive growth of the gingiva either by an increase in the size of the constituent cells (GINGIVAL HYPERTROPHY) or by an increase in their number (GINGIVAL HYPERPLASIA). (From Jablonski's Dictionary of Dentistry, 1992, p574) Gingival Overgrowths,Overgrowth, Gingival,Overgrowths, Gingival

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