Abstract
Fibroblasts play a key role in the formation of granulation tissue during wound
healing (45). As activated growth factors stimulate fibroblasts from the intact dermis
to migrate into the wound bed, MMPs facilitate this migratory process (45,48). For
example, MMP-2 has been shown to colocalize with WAVE1 (WASP family verprolin-homologous proteins which activate Arp2=3 complex at the leading edge of
lamellipodia) in dorsal ruffles, which may localize ECM proteolysis and promote
fibroblast migration (49). MMP3 has also been shown to be important in wound
contraction (50), since MMP-3-null mice fail to upregulate actin in dermal fibroblasts (51). TGFb1 and connective tissue growth factor coordinately stimulate
migrating fibroblasts to synthesize and secrete MMP-2 and MMP-9 that are necessary for ECM assembly and wound contraction (52).