Can epidermal hyaluronan become a therapeutic target?
It can be envisioned that diseases associated with excessive epidermal activation might benefit from suppression of hyaluronan synthesis, for instance, by local application of currently known (Jokela et al., 2008; Rilla et al., 2004) or new inhibitors. On the other hand, opposite clinical indications might arise for treating atrophic epidermis or enhancing wound healing responses. Hyaluronan is already being applied to wounds, dressings, and cosmetic preparations alone or in combination with skin cells or growth factors (Price et al., 2007), even though the molecular mechanisms of its effects remain obscure. Future treatment options depend on whether exogenously applied hyaluronan is found to retain the qualities associated with endogenously synthesized hyaluronan.
