What role do macrophages play in wound healing?
- Macrophages play a critical role in the inflammatory phase.
- They help to débride the wound through phagocytosis, but, more importantly, they are the primary source of proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors such as the interleukins (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8), PDGF, TGF-β, epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF).
- These humoral factors stimulate the recruitment, activation, and proliferation of additional macrophages, lymphocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells.
- These cytokines also act in an autocrine fashion to tremendously amplify their expression.
