Efficient macrophage migration into wounded skin requires hyaluronan (blue).
Specialized T cells in the skin lay a sugary foundation for macrophage migration into wounds, according to a study on
page 1269. Jameson and colleagues show that the absence of dendritic epidermal γδ T cells (DETCs) removes the impetus for skin cells to secrete hyaluronan, an extracellular glycan that is required for macrophage entry into wounds. Without macrophages, wounds can't heal.Wound healing is initiated when DETCs recognize an unknown antigen on damaged skin cells. Neutrophils and, later, macrophages migrate to the wound site; both cell types are needed for complete healing. This group had previously shown that wound repair breaks down in the absence of DETCs due to a lack of keratinocyte growth factors FGF-7 and FGF-10, which are produced by DETCs in wounds and stimulate keratinocyte regeneration.
Jameson et al. noted that nonhealing wounds...
