title: Cardiac fibroblast in development and wound healing.
abstract: Cardiac fibroblasts are the most abundant cell type in the mammalian heart and comprise approximately two-thirds of the total number of cardiac cell types. During development, epicardial cells undergo epithelial-mesenchymal-transition to generate cardiac fibroblasts that subsequently migrate into the developing myocardium to become resident cardiac fibroblasts. Fibroblasts form a structural scaffold for the attachment of cardiac cell types during development, express growth factors and cytokines and regulate proliferation of embryonic cardiomyocytes. In post natal life, cardiac fibroblasts play a critical role in orchestrating an injury response. Fibroblast activation and proliferation early after cardiac injury are critical for maintaining cardiac integrity and function, while the persistence of fibroblasts long after injury leads to chronic scarring and adverse ventricular remodeling. In this review, we discuss the physiologic function of the fibroblast during cardiac development and wound healing, molecular mediators of activation that could be possible targets for drug development for fibrosis and finally the use of reprogramming technologies for reversing scar. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Myocyte-Fibroblast Signalling in Myocardium."
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, USA; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, USA; Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, USA; Molecular Biology Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, USA; Program in Molecular Cellular & Integrative Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, USA. Electronic address: adeb@mednet.ucla.edu.
authors.forename: Arjun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deb
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ubil
mesh_terms: D002921:Cicatrix / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
keywords: Fibroblast; Fibrosis; Infarction; Remodeling; Repair; Wound healing