About Advances in Fibroblast Research
Advances in Fibroblast Research
About this Collection
Fibroblasts, a flavor of non-hematopoietic cell that have been the subject of studies for over 100 years, are re-emerging as a focus of academic and therapeutic research. These cells are found across tissues in all species where they play roles in defining the physical tissue microenvironment through the deposition and remodeling of extracellular matrix and via interactions with an array of cell types including hematopoietic (including macrophages, b-cells and t-cells) and other non-hematopoietic cells (such as pericytes, epithelial and endothelial cells).
Pressing questions remain as to the fundamental biology of these cells which must be addressed to unlock their potential as targets of disease-ameliorating therapeutics. The fibroblast field, which spans immunology, oncology, autoimmunity, infection and fundamental cell biology is at a precipice. New tools, emerging technologies and evolving frameworks stand to either coalesce the knowledge of the field into an overarching framework to understand this lineage of cells or to pen completely new chapters of understanding that may facilitate a deeper understanding for the field in the future.
The articles in this collection aim to enable leaders in the field of fibroblast biology to provide their opinion where the field stands, where it might be going or what is needed to push it forward. These essays may span diverse topics including mechanisms fibroblast lineage development and organization, myofibroblast sources and key signals in disease, the role of new technologies (including artificial intelligence/machine learning) in decoding fibroblast heterogeneity, the spatiality of fibroblasts in health and disease, metabolism and fibroblast biology, interactions of the microbiome with fibroblasts or others. Provision of new data is not required for these opinion pieces.
Keywords: fibroblasts; tissue microenvironment; extracellular matrix; lineage development; myofibroblasts; fibroblast heterogeneity
This collection is part of the Cell & Molecular Biology Gateway.
Any questions about this collection? Please get in contact directly with research@f1000.com.
Pressing questions remain as to the fundamental biology of these cells which must be addressed to unlock their potential as targets of disease-ameliorating therapeutics. The fibroblast field, which spans immunology, oncology, autoimmunity, infection and fundamental cell biology is at a precipice. New tools, emerging technologies and evolving frameworks stand to either coalesce the knowledge of the field into an overarching framework to understand this lineage of cells or to pen completely new chapters of understanding that may facilitate a deeper understanding for the field in the future.
The articles in this collection aim to enable leaders in the field of fibroblast biology to provide their opinion where the field stands, where it might be going or what is needed to push it forward. These essays may span diverse topics including mechanisms fibroblast lineage development and organization, myofibroblast sources and key signals in disease, the role of new technologies (including artificial intelligence/machine learning) in decoding fibroblast heterogeneity, the spatiality of fibroblasts in health and disease, metabolism and fibroblast biology, interactions of the microbiome with fibroblasts or others. Provision of new data is not required for these opinion pieces.
Keywords: fibroblasts; tissue microenvironment; extracellular matrix; lineage development; myofibroblasts; fibroblast heterogeneity
This collection is part of the Cell & Molecular Biology Gateway.
Any questions about this collection? Please get in contact directly with research@f1000.com.
Collection Advisor
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Matthew Buechler, PhD
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