Plantar skin exhibits altered physiology, constitutive activation of wound-associated phenotypes, and inherently delayed healing

Wound research has typically been performed without regard for where the wounds are located on the body, despite well-known heterogeneities in physical and biological properties between different skin areas. Skin covering the palms and soles is highly specialized, and plantar ulcers are one of the most challenging and costly wound types to manage. Using primarily the porcine model, we show that plantar skin is molecularly and functionally more distinct from non-plantar skin than previously recognized, with unique gene and protein expression profiles, broad alterations in cellular functions, constitutive activation of many wound-associated phenotypes, and inherently delayed healing.
Source: Journal of Investigative Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research