Homeobox (HOX) genes encode transcriptional regulators that direct morphogenesis during embryogenesis. They are also implicated in wound repair and other tissue-remodelling processes in adult animals. Now, on p. 2567-2577, Nancy Boudreau and co-workers report that HOXA3 promotes wound repair by inducing the migration of endothelial and epithelial cells. They show that HOXA3 expression is upregulated in human endothelial cells and keratinocytes during wound healing and that, although HOXA3 expression leads to changes in endothelial cell behaviour in vitro and in vivo similar to those produced by its paralogs HOXB3 and HOXD3, it does so by inducing the expression of distinct targets (metalloproteinase 14 and urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor). Finally, they show that HOXA3 gene transfer into diabetic mouse wounds accelerates healing by enhancing both angiogenesis and epithelial cell migration; transfer of HOXD3, which only affects angiogenesis, has milder effects. The authors conclude that HOXA3 helps to coordinate the repair programmes of the different cell populations in wounds and suggest that transient HOXA3 gene transfer may help patients who have impaired wound healing.