Comparative wound healing—Are the small animal veterinarian's clinical patients an improved translational model for human wound healing research?

Abstract

Despite intensive research efforts into understanding the pathophysiology of both chronic wounds and scar formation, and the development of wound care strategies to target both healing extremes, problematic wounds in human health care remain a formidable challenge. Although valuable fundamental information regarding the pathophysiology of problematic wounds can be gained from in vitro investigations and in vivo studies performed in laboratory animal models, the lack of concordance with human pathophysiology has been cited as a major impediment to translational research in human wound care. Therefore, the identification of superior clinical models for both chronic wounds and scarring disorders should be a high priority for scientists who work in the field of human wound healing research. To be successful, translational wound healing research should function as an intellectual ecosystem in which information flows from basic science researchers using in vitro and in vivo models to clinicians and back again from the clinical investigators to the basic scientists. Integral to the efficiency of this process is the incorporation of models which can accurately predict clinical success. The aim of this review is to describe the potential advantages and limitations of using clinical companion animals (primarily dogs and cats) as translational models for cutaneous wound healing research by describing comparative aspects of wound healing in these species, common acute and chronic cutaneous wounds in clinical canine and feline patients, and the infrastructure that currently exists in veterinary medicine which may facilitate translational studies and simultaneously benefit both veterinary and human wound care patients.

Models for the study of skin wound healing. The role of Nrf2 and NF-κB

“…When selecting between mouse and rat, rat skin strata and whole skin thickness are closer to human than those of mice 56 . Knowledge of interspecies and intraspecies differences helps with the interpretation and extrapolation of results between species 53 . Animal species as well as individuals within a species differ in size, and that is why animals are characterized by weight.…”

“…Porcine skin is the closest to human, due to its composition 24 as well as its tight skin type and mechanism of wound closure (only re-epithelization) (ref. 53 ). For example, rodents have a special muscle panniculus carnosus that facilitates healing due to wound closure contraction, and that is why mice, rats, hamsters and rabbits heal more rapidly than humans 24,53 .…”

“…53 ). For example, rodents have a special muscle panniculus carnosus that facilitates healing due to wound closure contraction, and that is why mice, rats, hamsters and rabbits heal more rapidly than humans 24,53 . To avoid this phenomenon, scientists make a wound e.g.…”

“…Especially with dogs and cats, vets treat many kinds of wounds and injuries that are also problems for humans, such as thermal injuries, surgical site infections, pressure ulcers and ischemic wounds but also ballistic and degloving injuries, endocrinopathies and immunosuppression, impaired healing and oncological treatment. And of course animals are great examples for studying bite wounds 53 .…”

“…Rats, mice, pigs and rabbits are the most frequently used animals. Hamsters 24 , dogs, cats, sheep, horses and ponies 53 are also utilized. Porcine skin is the closest to human, due to its composition 24 as well as its tight skin type and mechanism of wound closure (only re-epithelization) (ref.…”