Mechanisms of infantile hemangioma involution (Review).
- 1The First Clinical Medical College, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, P.R. China.
- 2Department of Pediatric Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, P.R. China.
Abstract
Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most common benign vascular tumor of infancy, characterized by a distinctive life cycle of rapid postnatal proliferation followed by spontaneous involution. However, the mechanisms underlying this regression process remain incompletely understood. In this narrative review, current IH-specific evidence was synthesized and candidate pathways were organized according to their relative strength. A total of three core mechanistic modules with moderate-to-high supporting evidence were identified: Endothelial proliferation restraint, immune microenvironment remodeling and adipogenic differentiation of hemangioma-derived progenitor cells. Additional pathways, including extracellular matrix remodeling, regulated cell death and endocrine signaling, were discussed as potential contributors but remain less validated. Overall, IH involution appears to represent an active and coordinated process of immunovascular remodeling rather than passive regression. Future studies should prioritize longitudinal human samples, single-cell and spatial profiling and functional validation in immune-competent models to clarify the temporal hierarchy and causal interactions among these pathways.
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BibTeX
@article{zheng2026mechanisms,
title = {{Mechanisms of infantile hemangioma involution (Review).}},
author = {Xiuwen Zheng and Yong Zeng and Jinping Liu and Yu Wang and Xiaoqiang Wen and Wei Peng and Wenqing Fu and Haijin Liu and Qianduo Li and Feng Chen},
journal = {Experimental and therapeutic medicine},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3892/etm.2026.13336},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948358},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mechanisms of infantile hemangioma involution (Review).
AU - Xiuwen Zheng
AU - Yong Zeng
AU - Jinping Liu
AU - Yu Wang
AU - Xiaoqiang Wen
AU - Wei Peng
AU - Wenqing Fu
AU - Haijin Liu
AU - Qianduo Li
AU - Feng Chen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Experimental and therapeutic medicine
DO - 10.3892/etm.2026.13336
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948358
AB - Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most common benign vascular tumor of infancy, characterized by a distinctive life cycle of rapid postnatal proliferation followed by spontaneous involution. However, the mechanisms underlying this regression process remain incompletely understood. In this narrative review, current IH-specific evidence was synthesized and candidate pathways were organized according to their relative strength. A total of three core mechanistic modules with moderate-to-high supporting evidence were identified: Endothelial proliferation restraint, immune microenvironment remodeling and adipogenic differentiation of hemangioma-derived progenitor cells. Additional pathways, including extracellular matrix remodeling, regulated cell death and endocrine signaling, were discussed as potential contributors but remain less validated. Overall, IH involution appears to represent an active and coordinated process of immunovascular remodeling rather than passive regression. Future studies should prioritize longitudinal human samples, single-cell and spatial profiling and functional validation in immune-competent models to clarify the temporal hierarchy and causal interactions among these pathways.
SN - 1792-0981
SN - 1792-1015
ER -