The epidermal growth factor receptor is a regulator of epidermal complement component expression and complement activation.

The complement system is activated in response to tissue injury. During wound healing, complement activation seems beneficial in acute wounds but may be detrimental in chronic wounds. We found that the epidermal expression of many complement components was only increased to a minor extent in skin wounds in vivo and in cultured keratinocytes after exposure to supernatant from stimulated mononuclear cells.

Gene expression demonstrates increased resilience toward harmful inflammatory stimuli in the proliferating epidermis of human skin wounds.

We examined the epidermal gene expression during the proliferative phase of wound healing. Matrix metalloproteases were the group of proteases most prominently up-regulated in skin wounds, whereas serine protease inhibitors were the most strongly up-regulated protease inhibitors. Furthermore, we found down-regulation of genes involved in the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis.

Pelvic exenteration for advanced and recurrent malignancy.

Background: Improved surgical techniques and oncological treatment render many advanced pelvic tumors amenable to curative resection. We evaluated morbidity, survival, and quality of life (QoL) after extended pelvic procedures.

Methods: From January 2003 to November 2008, 85 patients underwent multivisceral pelvic resection; 87% had colorectal or anal malignancies.

Injury is a major inducer of epidermal innate immune responses during wound healing.

We examined the importance of injury for the epidermal innate immune response in human skin wounds. We found that injury, independent of infiltrating inflammatory cells, generated prominent chemotactic activity toward neutrophils in injured skin because of IL-8 production. Furthermore, injury was a major inducer of the expression of antimicrobial (poly)peptides (AMPs) in skin wounds.

Osteopromotion: A Soft-Tissue Exclusion Principle Using a Membrane for Bone Healing and Bone Neogenesis.

The research reviewed in this paper constitutes a series of investigations intended to develop and evaluate a new membrane technique, which provides improved conditions for osteogenesis during healing of bone defects and restitution of earlier existing bone. The technique has also been shown to aid in bone grafting as well as having the capacity to create new bone for reconstructive purposes. According to this methodology, membranes are utilized to create a space in the tissue in which osteogenesis can occur relatively unimpeded.