BACKGROUND Keloids are thick fibrous scars that are refractory to treatment and unique to humans. The lack of keloid animal models has hampered development of effective therapies. The authors' goal was to develop an animal model of keloids using grafted engineered skin substitutes composed of keloid-derived cells. To demonstrate the model's utility, differences between deep and superficial kelo...

PURPOSE There are currently no consistently effective treatments for the excessive collagen produced by keloid fibroblasts. Previously, we reported that heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is up-regulated in keloid fibroblasts and keloid tissue. We, therefore, investigated whether Hsp70 is related to excessive collagen production in keloid fibroblasts. MATERIALS AND METHODS We inhibited Hsp70 in ke...

BACKGROUND Keloids are an extreme form of abnormal scarring that result from a pathological fibroproliferative wound healing process. The molecular mechanisms driving keloid pathology remain incompletely understood, hindering development of targeted, effective therapies. Recent studies in our laboratory demonstrated that keloid keratinocytes exhibit adhesion abnormalities and display a transcri...

BACKGROUND A keloid is pathological scar caused by aberrant response to skin injuries, characterized by excessive accumulation of histological extracellular matrix, and occurs in genetically susceptible individuals. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of keloid. We investigated the association between PAI-1 polymorphisms and plasma PAI-1 level with ...

Several studies have reported on certain aspects of the characteristics of different sites within a keloid lesion, but detailed studies on the keloid dermis at different depths within a keloid lesion are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the histology of the keloid dermis at different depths. This study included 19 keloid tissue samples that were collected from 19 patients and 19...

BACKGROUND This study is a clinical characterization of keloid scars in an African population comprising three rural tribes with familial keloids. Site distribution, morphologic features, and other characteristics of the scars were studied to assess whether each tribe had a specific scar phenotype. METHODS Keloid scar clinics were set up at Soba Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan, for patient recrui...

Keloid is a type of pathological skin scar. Pathogenesis of keloid is complex and is not fully understood. lncRNA can regulate gene expression on different levels. It also participates in cell cycle regulation and cell proliferation. The present study investigated the potential biological function of lncRNA in keloid. We identified differential expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs between 3 pairs of...

OBJECTIVE Heat shock proteins (HSPs) modulate the intensity of the inflammatory and synthetic response to stress in wound healing. Induction of HSPs at the site of wounds improves healing by acting as a molecular chaperone. However, the role of HSPs may augment the inflammatory response, leading to an uncontrolled synthetic process. Propensity for keloid development involves genetic predisposit...

Keloids are disfiguring scars that extend beyond the original wound borders and resist treatment. Keloids exhibit excessive extracellular matrix deposition, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To better understand the molecular basis of keloid scarring, here we define the genomic profiles of keloid fibroblasts and keratinocytes. In both cell types, keloid-derived cells exhibit di...

BACKGROUND Xanthium stramarium (XAS) and Psoralea corylifolia (PSC), phototoxic oriental medicinal plants, has been used in traditional medicines in Asian countries. OBJECTIVE The effects of highly purified XAS or PSC extract combined with ultraviolet A1 (UVA1) irradiation on cell proliferation and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) expression of the keloid fibroblast were being invest...