Kidney fibrosis initiates at certain focal sites in which the fibrogenic niche provides a
specialized microenvironment that facilitates fibroblast activation and proliferation. However,
the molecular identity of these fibrogenic niches is poorly characterized. Here, we
determined whether tenascin-C (TNC), an extracellular matrix glycoprotein, is a component
of the fibrogenic niche in kidney fibrosis. In vivo, TNC expression increased rapidly in
kidneys subjected to unilateral ureteral obstruction or ischemia/reperfusion injury and …