Collagen metabolism

The process of wound healing consists of an orderly sequence of events char acterized by the specific infiltration of specialized cells into the wound site. The platelets and inflammatory cells are the first cells to arrive, a nd they provide key functions and signals needed for the influx of connecti ve tissue cells and a new blood supply. These chemical signals are known as growth factors or cytokines. The fibroblast is the connective tissue cell responsible for collagen deposition needed to repair the tissue injury. Col lagen is the most abundant protein in the animal kingdom, as it accounts fo r 30 percent of the total protein in the human body, In normal tissues, col lagen provides strength, integrity, and structure, When tissues are disrupt ed following injury, collagen is needed to repair the defect and hopefully restore structure and thus function. If too much collagen is deposited in t he wound site, normal anatomical structure is lost, function is compromised , and the problem of fibrosis results. Conversely, if insufficient amounts of collagen are deposited, the wound is weak and may dehisce. Therefore, to fully understand wound healing, it is essential to understand the basic bi ochemistry of collagen metabolism.