Besides regulating the inflammatory response in joint disease, fibromodulin isalso involved in the inflammatory process of cutaneous wound healing.178 Studies on fetal and adult rodent wound models provided evidence thatelevated fibromodulin levels correlate with decreased TGF-β1 activity.179 This is based on the ability of fibromodulin protein core to sequesterTGF-β1 in the ECM.36,180 In agreement, mice lacking fibromodulin displayedabnormal wound healing, which correlates with elevated inflammatory cellinfiltration and accelerated epithelial cell migration. This evidence concerns the gene FMOD and arthropathy.