A lysyl oxidase-responsive collagen peptide illuminates collagen remodeling in wound healing.

• A chemical probe offers visualization of collagen remodelling in healing tissue. • The chemical probe targets newly formed collagen at the wound site. • We provide spatio-temporal insights into collagen changes during wound healing. • The chemical probe distinguishes between normal and altered wound healing. Tissue repair and fibrosis involve the dynamic remodeling of collagen, and accurate detection of these sites is of utmost importance. Here, we use a collagen peptide sensor (1) to visualize collagen formation and remodeling during wound healing in mice and humans. We show that the probe binds selectively to sites of collagen formation and remodeling at different stages of healing. Compared to conventional methods, the peptide sensor localizes preferentially to areas of collagen synthesis and remodeling at the wound edge and not in matured fibrillar collagen. We also demonstrate its applicability for in vivo wound imaging and for discerning differential remodeling in wounds of transgenic mice with altered collagen dynamics. Our findings show the value of 1 as a diagnostic tool to rapidly identify the sites of matrix remodeling in tissue sections, which will aid in the conception of new therapeutic strategies for fibrotic disorders and defective tissue repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]