Vimentin at the core of wound healing

Vimentin deficiency results in poor wound healing, with defects that can be seen across all stages of the repair process.Due to its flexibility and structural properties, vimentin is necessary for immune cell migration, diapedesis, and extravasation.Vimentin is important for fibroblast functions that are essential for the proliferative and remodeling phases of wound healing.Vimentin is required for transforming growth factor-β signaling and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, which are necessary for re-epithelization.Extracellular forms of vimentin participate in wound healing by promoting clot formation, facilitating pathogen clearance, and boosting fibroblast proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix deposition. As a member of the large family of intermediate filaments (IFs), vimentin has emerged as a highly dynamic and versatile cytoskeletal protein involved in many key processes of wound healing. It is well established that vimentin is involved in epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) during wound healing and metastasis, during which epithelial cells acquire more dynamic and motile characteristics. Moreover, vimentin participates in multiple cellular activities supporting growth, proliferation, migration, cell survival, and stress resilience. Here, we explore the role of vimentin at each phase of wound healing, with focus on how it integrates different signaling pathways and protects cells in the fluctuating and challenging environments that characterize a healing tissue. As a member of the large family of intermediate filaments (IFs), vimentin has emerged as a highly dynamic and versatile cytoskeletal protein involved in many key processes of wound healing. It is well established that vimentin is involved in epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) during wound healing and metastasis, during which epithelial cells acquire more dynamic and motile characteristics. Moreover, vimentin participates in multiple cellular activities supporting growth, proliferation, migration, cell survival, and stress resilience. Here, we explore the role of vimentin at each phase of wound healing, with a focus on how it integrates different signaling pathways and protects cells in the fluctuating and challenging environments that characterize a healing tissue.