Fibroblasts as maestros orchestrating tissue regeneration

Abstract

Fibroblasts constitute a dynamic and versatile population of cells of mesenchymal origin, implicated in both regenerative strategies and pathological conditions. Despite being frequently associated to disease development, particularly through the establishment of fibrotic tissue, fibroblasts hold great potential for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. They are responsible for synthesizing and depositing extracellular matrix components, allowing other cells to settle and migrate along a three-dimensional support and thereby generating an organ-specific architecture. Additionally, they produce bioactive molecules that are involved in several physiological processes, including angiogenesis and tissue repair. Although there seems to be much still to unveil about these fascinating cells they have been attracting increasing interest and are now being intensively explored as a cell source to develop bioengineered tissue constructs or to improve stem cell-based technologies. This review intends to highlight the potential of fibroblasts in orchestrating tissue regeneration, as well as to contribute to uncover uncharted prospective applications of these cells.

Macrophage and Fibroblast Interactions in Biomaterial‐Mediated Fibrosis

“…Due to the highly dynamic nature of macrophages and fibroblasts, assessing and tracking their behavior in vivo can be particularly challenging; surface markers, genes, and protein secretion often overlap between phenotypes, and depending on the progenitor source, the same cell might express a completely different set of markers and have completely different functional behaviors. Several review articles have highlighted the particularly heterogeneous nature of fibroblasts, as they exist in nearly every tissue and organ; for example, fibroblasts within the skin are derived from two distinct lineages, which are functionally and phenotypically different within the context of tissue repair . A concomitant challenge is that a specific marker to distinguish fibroblasts and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) has not been identified .…”

Nanostructured fibrin agarose hydrogel as a novel haemostatic agent

“…We also included the a‐NFAH and FTC substrates in the study. a‐NFAH was incorporated to assess whether the presence of fibroblasts provided a significant improvement in haemostasis (Costa‐Almeida, Soares, & Granja, ) against the hypothesis that NFAH matrix could account for most of the haemostatic potential of the pads. FTC was incorporated to compare NFAH with a commercial haemostatic agent of similar composition.…”

Bioresorbable Scaffolds Based on Fibroin for Bone Tissue Regeneration

“…Фибробласты -резидентные клетки соединительных тканей, оказывающие огромное влияние на процессы регенерации различных тканей и ор-ганов [18]. Способность скаффолдов поддерживать адгезию и пролиферацию этого типа клеток является важным показателем биосовместимости.…”