Summary of differences identified in fetal wound healing.
Fetal wound healing
Inflammation
Reduced immune cells, less activated, lower levels of cytokines, and growth factors due to reduced immune cells [5ā9] Decreased expression IL-6 and IL-8 [16, 17] Low levels of COX-2 and PGE2 [25] Appear refractory to exogenous PGE2 [27]
ECM
Higher expression of hyaluronic acid [30, 31] Increased CD44 (hyaluronic acid receptor) [33] Tenascin C earlier deposition [42, 43] Increased expression of some subunits integrins [45] Fibronectin isoforms Reduced decorin [46] Increase fibromodulin [49] Collagen ratio remain unclear but fetal wounds [51, 52] Have reduced cross-linking but increased expression DDR [57] Increased levels of MMPs and urokinase plasminogen activator reduced TIMPs and PAI-1 [58, 59]
Wound closure
Myofibroblasts quick but transitory appearance [67, 68] Close wounds by actin cable [61, 62]