Healing of skin wounds is closely associated with the body's inflammatory response. Neutrophils migrate in large numbers from the circulation the site of a wound where they defend against infection. In this process neutrophils are activated to release superoxide, proteases, and cytokines which contribute in varying degrees to wound healing. Efficient wound closure is dependent on cellular and molecular events initiated during the inflammation. The goal of this study is to develop a non-invasive real-time technique to image neutrophil influx and vascular permeability within the wound.



Colored region indicates density of neutrophils at the surface of a healing wound.

We have developed a mouse model of wound healing, utilizing EGFP expressing neutrophils to monitor the location of recruitment of neutrophils. We continue to investigate how impaired or enhanced neutrophil recruitment influences the rate of wound closure, and how inflammatory compounds released by neutrophils influence vascular permeability in the vicinity of a wound.