title: May the fibrosis be with you: Is discoidin domain receptor 2 the receptor we have been looking for?
abstract: In a recent issue of Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, George et al. [1] identified discoidin domain receptor 2 (DDR2) as a positive modulator of collagen production in cardiac fibroblasts stimulated with angiotensin II (Ang II). DDR2 is a tyrosine kinase collagen receptor and is associated with pathological scarring of multiple organs; nevertheless, the functional role of DDR2 in the myocardium remains unclear. George et al. present evidence for the first time that Ang II induces cardiac fibrosis by enhancing DDR2 expression in cardiac fibroblasts via p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK)-mediated activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB).
authors.affiliation: Mississippi Center for Heart Research, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216. Electronic address: kdeleon@umc.edu.
authors.forename: Kristine Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: DeLeon-Pennell
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003094:Collagen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000070818:Discoidin Domain Receptors; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D019808:Losartan / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D016328:NF-kappa B; D011975:Receptors, Mitogen; D000804:Angiotensin II; D003094:Collagen; D000070818:Discoidin Domain Receptors; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D019808:Losartan
keywords: Angiotensin II; Discoidin domain receptor 2; Fibroblast; Fibrosis