Collagen Deposition in Autoimmune Diseases: The Expanding Role of the Fibroblast in Human Fibrotic Disease

摘要: Fibrosis, usually considered an extension of the normal process wound healing, follows to a variable degree host responses inflammatory nature, both immune and non-immune. The immediate mesenchymal effector cell fibrosis, fibroblast, has more or less been taken for granted in this process, due largely its monotonous morphological uniformity. An emerging realization that fibroblast can react variety ways, as amplifying population cells selective ways final arbiter extracellular matrix, is subject report. This heterogeneity behaviour characterized and, since many types (endothelial, smooth muscle, epithelial) have now shown respond matrix-derived signals, potential selection mechanism understanding human fibrotic disease probed. Signals which selectively alter proliferation phenotypic expression are emphasized.