The myofibroblast at a glance.
J Cell Sci
; 133(13)2020 07 10.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32651236
ABSTRACT
In 1971, Gabbiani and co-workers discovered and characterized the "modification of fibroblasts into cells which are capable of an active spasm" (contraction) in rat wound granulation tissue and, accordingly, named these cells 'myofibroblasts'. Now, myofibroblasts are not only recognized for their physiological role in tissue repair but also as cells that are key in promoting the development of fibrosis in all organs. In this Cell Science at a Glance and the accompanying poster, we provide an overview of the current understanding of central aspects of myofibroblast biology, such as their definition, activation from different precursors, the involved signaling pathways and most widely used models to study their function. Myofibroblasts will be placed into context with their extracellular matrix and with other cell types communicating in the fibrotic environment. Furthermore, the challenges and strategies to target myofibroblasts in anti-fibrotic therapies are summarized to emphasize their crucial role in disease progression.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Miofibroblastos
/
Fibroblastos
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article