We've come a long way since Lister discovered and preached the value of aseptic technique in surgery and wound care. And while it is unlikely that new discoveries in wound care research will so profoundly affect patient care as those of Lister, our understanding of the biologic mechanisms of healing has evolved to such a point that we can now look forward to controlling and perhaps accelerating the healing process. Only a decade ago, the accepted approach to wound management was cautious and passive-achieve hemostasis, dress the wound carefully, remove sutures early, and let nature do its work. Now, however, in the laboratory and in some clinical settings, a more aggressive approach to wound care is being advocated. The major advances that have brought wound care research to a new potential have occurred in cell biology. Among the findings that are signaling new and aggressive approaches to wound care are discoveries about the function of the