Genetic ablation of mast cells redefines the role of mast cells in skin wound healing and bleomycin-induced fibrosis.

Conclusive evidence for the impact of mast cells (MCs) in skin repair is still lacking. Studies in mice examining the role of MC function in the physiology and pathology of skin regenerative processes have obtained contradictory results. To clarify the specific role of MCs in regenerative conditions, here we used a recently developed genetic mouse model that allows conditional MC ablation to examine MC-specific functions in skin. This mouse model is based on the cell type–specific expression of Cre recombinase in connective tissue–type MCs under control of the Mcpt5 promoter and the Cre-inducible diphtheria toxin receptor–mediated cell lineage ablation by diphtheria toxin. In response to ex…