Injury, inflammation and the emergence of human‐specific genes

In light of the central role of inflammation in normal wound repair and regeneration, we hypothesize that the preponderance of human‐specific genes expressed in human inflammatory cells is commensurate with the genetic versatility of inflammatory response and the emergence of injuries associated with uniquely hominid behaviors, like a bipedal posture and the use of tools, weapons and fire. The hypothesis underscores the need to study human‐specific signaling pathways in experimental models of injury and infers that a selection of human‐specific genes, driven in part by the response to injury, may have facilitated the emergence of multifunctional genes expressed in other tissues.