Fig. 2.

Normal healing process. Normal tissue repair involves many overlapping stages. After injury, hemostasis occurs initially through vasoconstriction and platelet aggregation. Subsequently, macrophages express inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-12, which recruit neutrophils and generate inflammation. Next, during the proliferative phase, macrophages promote tissue regeneration and ECM production by regulating the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. As the tissue matures, neovascularization degenerates, and the ECM is rebuilt in the final remodeling phase. As granulation tissue is generated, fibroblasts differentiate into Myo-fibroblasts, which produce denser type I collagen and are responsible for wound contraction. Figure was drawn by the author