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The myofibroblast in wound healing and fibrocontractive diseases
Author(s) -
Gabbiani G
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/path.1427
Subject(s) - myofibroblast , wound healing , extracellular matrix , fibronectin , fibrosis , stroma , microbiology and biotechnology , pathology , medicine , cancer research , biology , chemistry , immunology , immunohistochemistry
The demonstration that fibroblastic cells acquire contractile features during the healing of an open wound, thus modulating into myofibroblasts, has open a new perspective in the understanding of mechanisms leading to wound closure and fibrocontractive diseases. Myofibroblasts synthesize extracellular matrix components such as collagen types I and III and during normal wound healing disappear by apoptosis when epithelialization occurs. The transition from fibroblasts to myofibroblasts is influenced by mechanical stress, TGF‐β and cellular fibronectin (ED‐A splice variant). These factors also play important roles in the development of fibrocontractive changes, such as those observed in liver cirrhosis, renal fibrosis, and stroma reaction to epithelial tumours. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.