A new review shines a spotlight on efferocytosis, a critical biological process responsible for the removal of dead cells, as a central force in promoting efficient wound repair and maintaining tissue balance. The article brings together current understanding of how the body controls inflammation and supports regeneration, emphasizing the importance of precise cellular coordination in healing.

At the heart of tissue recovery is the body’s ability to eliminate apoptotic cells before they accumulate and trigger damage. Efferocytosis ensures that these cells are rapidly cleared, preventing prolonged inflammation and enabling the transition to tissue rebuilding. When this process is impaired, dead cells and metabolic byproducts can accumulate, contributing to chronic wounds, delayed healing, and a range of inflammatory conditions.

The review describes a highly coordinated system of signals that guide immune cells to sites of injury. These include molecular cues that attract phagocytes, enabling them to identify, engulf, and process dying cells. This activity not only removes debris but also stimulates the release of anti-inflammatory mediators, which are essential for shifting the body from an inflammatory state toward recovery and regeneration.

Multiple cell types play essential roles in this process. Neutrophils are among the first responders, rapidly arriving at injury sites to combat potential threats. Macrophages follow, taking on a central role in clearing debris and orchestrating the healing process. Their ability to transition from a pro-inflammatory phenotype to a pro-repair phenotype is a defining step in successful wound resolution. At later stages, fibroblasts and endothelial cells contribute to rebuilding tissue structure through collagen production and angiogenesis, restoring integrity and function.

The review also highlights the importance of underlying signaling pathways that regulate immune responses and cellular behavior. These pathways coordinate inflammation, cellular clearance, and tissue remodeling, making them promising targets for future therapeutic approaches aimed at enhancing healing outcomes.

By positioning efferocytosis as a central regulator of tissue repair, the article underscores its significance in both health and disease. A deeper understanding of this process offers new opportunities to address conditions where healing is compromised, paving the way for innovative strategies that improve recovery and restore normal tissue function.
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Genes & Diseases publishes rigorously peer-reviewed and high quality original articles and authoritative reviews that focus on the molecular bases of human diseases. Emphasis is placed on hypothesis-driven, mechanistic studies relevant to pathogenesis and/or experimental therapeutics of human diseases. The journal has worldwide authorship, and a broad scope in basic and translational biomedical research of molecular biology, molecular genetics, and cell biology, including but not limited to cell proliferation and apoptosis, signal transduction, stem cell biology, developmental biology, gene regulation and epigenetics, cancer biology, immunity and infection, neuroscience, disease-specific animal models, gene and cell-based therapies, and regenerative medicine.
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Reference
Yilin Sun, Haiying Guo, Yang Bai, Jin Chen, Yuhong Li, Roles of efferocytosis in wound repair: Process, cells, and signals, Genes & Diseases, Volume 13, Issue 3, 2026, 101937, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gendis.2025.101937

Funding
National Natural Science Foundation of China 82173446
National Natural Science Foundation of China 82201298
Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing Municipality (China) CSTB2025NSCQ-GPX0626
Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing Municipality (China) CSTB2022NSCQ-MSX0162
Key Research and Development Projects of Hainan Province of China ZDYF2024SHFZ062