Defining the cardiac fibroblast

MJ Ivey, MD Tallquist - Circulation Journal, 2016 - jstage.jst.go.jp
MJ Ivey, MD Tallquist
Circulation Journal, 2016jstage.jst.go.jp
Cardiac fibrosis remains an important health concern, but the study of fibroblast biology has
been hindered by a lack of effective means for identifying and tracking fibroblasts. Recent
advances in fibroblast-specific lineage tags and reporters have permitted a better
understanding of these cells. After injury, multiple cell types have been implicated as the
source for extracellular matrix-producing cells, but emerging studies suggest that resident
cardiac fibroblasts contribute substantially to the remodeling process. In this review, we …
Abstract
Cardiac fibrosis remains an important health concern, but the study of fibroblast biology has been hindered by a lack of effective means for identifying and tracking fibroblasts. Recent advances in fibroblast-specific lineage tags and reporters have permitted a better understanding of these cells. After injury, multiple cell types have been implicated as the source for extracellular matrix-producing cells, but emerging studies suggest that resident cardiac fibroblasts contribute substantially to the remodeling process. In this review, we discuss recent findings regarding cardiac fibroblast origin and identity. Our understanding of cardiac fibroblast biology and fibrosis is still developing and will expand profoundly in the next few years, with many of the recent findings regarding fibroblast gene expression and behavior laying down the groundwork for interpreting the purpose and utility of these cells before and after injury.(Circ J 2016; 80: 2269–2276)
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