Emerging evidence for the essential role of hyaluronan in cutaneous biology.

Hyaluronan (HA), a linear non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan, participates in a variety of biological processes in the skin, such as cell-matrix interactions and activation of chemokines/cytokines, enzymes, and growth factors. In these activation events, HA acts as a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP). This review discusses the progress in functional research on HA, and its associated factors, in several aspects of cutaneous biology; e.g., immunity and wound repair.