biostudies-literatureStewart DCNCRR NIH HHSNational Institutes of HealthNIAMS NIH HHSRussian Science FoundationPerelman School of Medicine, University of PennsylvaniaNIH HHSNIGMS NIH HHSNational Science Foundation919-938.e14https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC12359077biostudies-literatureUnknown145(4)Postnatal cutaneous wound healing is characterized by development of a collagen-rich scar lacking the architecture and functional integrity of unwounded tissue. Directing cell behaviors to efficiently heal wounds while minimizing scar formation remains a major wound management goal. In this study, we demonstrate type III collagen (COL3) as a critical regulator of re-epithelialization and scar formation during healing of COL3-enriched, regenerative (Acomys), scar-permissive (CD-1 Mus and wild-type Col3^B6/B6 mice) and COL3-deficient, scar-promoting (Col3^F/F, a murine conditional knockdown model) cutaneous wound models. We define a scar-permissive fibrillar collagen architecture signature characterized by elongated and anisotropically aligned collagen fibers that is doseThe Journal of investigative dermatologyType III Collagen Regulates Matrix Architecture and Mechanosensing during Wound Healing.PMC12359077S10OD021633S10 RR027128P30AR069589R01 GM124091R01GM124091P30 AR069589CMMI-1751898S10 OD021633S10RR027128Maden MLiu YRuthel GYen WKMauck RLHan LWang CVolk SWBrisson BKGullberg DStewart DCfalseType III Collagen Regulates Matrix Architecture and Mechanosensing during Wound Healing.Postnatal cutaneous wound healing is characterized by development of a collagen-rich scar lacking the architecture and functional integrity of unwounded tissue. Directing cell behaviors to efficiently heal wounds while minimizing scar formation remains a major wound management goal. In this study, we demonstrate type III collagen (COL3) as a critical regulator of re-epithelialization and scar formation during healing of COL3-enriched, regenerative (Acomys), scar-permissive (CD-1 Mus and wild-type Col3^B6/B6 mice) and COL3-deficient, scar-promoting (Col3^F/F, a murine conditional knockdown model) cutaneous wound models. We define a scar-permissive fibrillar collagen architecture signature characterized by elongated and anisotropically aligned collagen fibers that is dose2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Apr2026-05-29T10:30:23.799Z2026-04-08T04:30:04.246ZS-EPMC123590773923690210.1016/j.jid.2024.08.013