Growth factors in pathologic wound repair in horses

Dermal scarring is an important clinical problem; often leading to adverse effects on function as well as an undesirable cosmetic appearance, it may b e related to an imbalance in the cytokine/growth factor profile of the woun d environment. For example, it has recently been shown that overexpression of the fibrogenic growth factors transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta (1) and TGF-beta (2) is related to the excessive accumulation of collagen evide nt in keloids and hypertrophic scars, common forms of pathologic overheatin g of dermal wounds in humans. Proud flesh in horses resembles human keloids and hypertrophic scarring and may thus share a similar pathogenesis.