The intricate network of molecular and cellular communication pathways, involving growth factors, cytokines, and peptide hormones, that are activated to initiate, guide, and execute the processes of tissue repair, structural renewal, and functional restoration following injury or age-related degeneration. This signaling is the biological language of healing, dictating the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of progenitor cells. Optimizing this signaling is a primary goal of regenerative medicine.
Origin
This concept is central to the field of regenerative medicine, wound healing, and tissue engineering, recognizing that regeneration is not a passive process but an actively regulated, orchestrated event. The discovery and characterization of various growth factors, such as IGF-1, VEGF, and Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), provided the molecular basis for this signaling network. The term emphasizes the dynamic and instructive nature of these biological messages.
Mechanism
The signaling cascade begins with the release of specific chemoattractant peptides and inflammatory mediators at the site of damage, which recruit immune cells and local stem cells. Growth factors then bind to transmembrane receptors on progenitor cells, activating intracellular pathways like the MAPK and PI3K/Akt pathways, which drive cell division and differentiation into mature, functional tissue cells. This precise sequence of signals ensures the orderly deposition of new extracellular matrix and the eventual functional integration of the repaired tissue.
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