Experimental models and high-throughput diagnostics for tissue regeneration

During wound healing, cells recreate functional structures to regenerate the injured tissue. Understanding the healing process is essential for the development of new concepts and the design of novel biomimetic approaches for delivery of cells, genes and growth factors to accelerate tissue regeneration. To this end, realistic experimental models and high-throughput diagnostics are necessary to understand the molecular mechanisms of healing and reveal the genetic networks that determine tissue repair versus regeneration. Following a brief overview of the biology of wound healing, this review covers the in vitro and in vivo models that are employed at present to study the healing process. Discussion then covers the application of high-throughput genomic and proteomic technologies in epithelial development, living skin substitutes and wound healing. Finally, this review provides a perspective on novel technologies that should be developed to facilitate the understanding of wound healing complications and the design of therapeutics that target the underlying deficiencies.