Plasminogen activator/plasmin system: A major player in wound healing?

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Abstract
The role of the plasminogen activator/plasmin system in fibrinolysis has been well established. Indeed, clinicians worldwide have successfully utilized recombinant tissue‐type plasminogen activator as first‐line treatment of acute myocardial infarction for almost 2 decades. Outside the field of cardiology, there has been increasing excitement regarding the possible contribution of this system in many other important biological processes, including cell adhesion, cell migration, cell–cell signaling, tumor invasion and metastasis, ovulation, and wound healing. In this review, we present evidence in the current literature that the plasminogen activator/plasmin system does have a role in wound healing, looking at both normal and abnormal healing. Furthermore, the invaluable insights provided by numerous transgenic animal experiments are summarized. (WOUND REP REG 2003;11:239–247)