Skin wounds and their experimental modeling

Skin wound healing is a complex process involving many types of cells and mediators. Studying the mechanisms of skin regeneration requires creating experimental models that would allow analyzing the dynamics of the wound process, identifying factors influencing it, and developing new treatment methods. The aim of the study was to summarize the information available in the world literature on the pathogenesis of the wound process and experimental models of mechanical damage to the skin. Material and methods of the study were articles published in scientific journals and available for searching on the Internet (eLibrary and PubMed databases). The search was carried out using the following keywords: skin wounds, skin regeneration, wound healing, abrasions, linear wound, incisional wound, excisional wound. As a result of the analysis, it was adopted that the process of reparative skin regeneration includes three interrelated stages: hemostasis and inflammation, cell proliferation and tissue restoration and remodeling. Although some aspects of wound healing can be studied in vitro, reproduction of the regenerative process in a whole organism requires the use of laboratory animals. As a rule, skin wounds are modeled on rats and mice, and larger animals (rabbits, pigs, sheep) are used less often. Models of mechanical skin damage are used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of wound-healing agents, wound dressing materials, physiotherapeutic methods of influencing the regenerative process, such as laser phototherapy and electromechanical stimulation. The condition of the damaged skin is analyzed by morphometric, histological, immunohistochemical, and molecular genetic methods. The most common models of mechanical skin damage are abrasions, full-layer linear and excisional wounds. They can serve as a basis for reproducing chronic wounds whose healing is hampered by metabolic or immune status disorders, circulatory disorders, infections, or other causes. When studying skin damage, one should remember that the nature and processes of its regeneration in animals and humans do not fully correspond, and therefore the results of modeling require confirmation in appropriate clinical studies.