Code red: The skin is under attack!

Authors

  • Iliana C. Martínez-Ortíz Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Boulevard de la Tecnología, 1036 Z-1, P 2/2, 62790, Xochitepec, Morelos, México.
  • Francisca Villanueva-Flores Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Boulevard de la Tecnología, 1036 Z-1, P 2/2, 62790, Xochitepec, Morelos, México.

Keywords:

Wound, healing, wound repair, inflammation, scar

Abstract

Code Red: The Skin Is Under Attack! is a science communication short story that explains wound healing through the metaphor of the “Kingdom of Dermis.” Through an allegorical narrative, the text presents in accessible language the main stages of skin repair: hemostasis, inflammation, cellular proliferation, and tissue remodeling. Platelets, fibrin, neutrophils, macrophages, fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, and keratinocytes are portrayed as protagonists of a coordinated biological response. The manuscript aims to bring non-specialized readers closer to the complexity of wound repair, showing that a scar has a biological record of injury, survival, and recovery.

References

Mamun, A. A., Shao, C., Geng, P., Wang, S., & Xiao, J. (2024). Recent advances in molecular mechanisms of skin wound healing and its treatments. Frontiers in Immunology, 15, 1395479. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2024.1395479

Vilahur, G., & Fuster, V. (2025). Interplay between platelets and coagulation: From protective haemostasis to pathological arterial thrombosis. European Heart Journal, 46(5), 413–423. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehae776

Nazari, M., Taremi, S., Elahi, R., Mostanadi, P., & Esmeilzadeh, A. (2025). Therapeutic Properties of M2 Macrophages in Chronic Wounds: An Innovative Area of Biomaterial-Assisted M2 Macrophage Targeted Therapy. Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, 21(2), 390–422. doi:10.1007/s12015-024-10806-3

Bártolo, I., Reis, R. L., Marques, A. P., & Cerqueira, M. T. (2022). Keratinocyte Growth Factor-Based Strategies for Wound Re-Epithelialization. Tissue Engineering Part B: Reviews, 28(3), 665–676. doi:10.1089/ten.teb.2021.0030

Matar, D. Y., Ng, B., Darwish, O., Wu, M., Orgill, D. P., & Panayi, A. C. (2023). Skin Inflammation with a Focus on Wound Healing. Advances in Wound Care, 12(5), 269–287. doi:10.1089/wound.2021.0126

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Published

2026-06-03

How to Cite

Martínez-Ortíz, I. C., & Villanueva-Flores, F. (2026). Code red: The skin is under attack!. Revista De divulgación científica IBIO, 8(3), 357. Retrieved from https://revistaibio.com/ojs33/index.php/main/article/view/357

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 3 (2026)

Section

Art in science and engineering

License

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