Accumulating evidence has shown that cell dedifferentiation or reprogramming is a pivotal procedure for animals to deal with injury and promote endogenous tissue repair. Tissue damage is a critical factor that triggers cell dedifferentiation or reprogramming in vivo. By contrast, microenvironmental changes, including the loss of stem cells, hypoxia, cell senescence, inflammation and immunity, caused by tissue damage can return cells to an unstable state. If the wound persists in the long‑term due to chronic damage, then dedifferentiation or reprogramming of the surrounding cells may lead to carcinogenesis. In recent years, extensive research has been performed investigating cell dedifferentiation or reprogramming in vivo, which can have significant implications for wound repair, treatment and prevention of cancer in the future. The current review summarizes the molecular events that are known to drive cell dedifferentiation directly following tissue injury and the effects of epigenetic modification on dedifferentiation or reprogramming in vivo. In addition, the present review explores the intracellular mechanism of endogenous tissue repair and its relationship with cancer, which is essential for balancing the risk between tissue repair and malignant transformation after injury.
Keywords: cancer; dedifferentiation; epigenetic modification; in vivo reprogramming; wound repair.