Cardiac fibroblasts: answering the call

• Published in: American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology Vol. 327; no. 3; pp. H681 - H686
• Main Authors: Kleinbongard, Petra, Senyo, Samuel E, Lindsey, Merry L, Garvin, Alexandra M, Simpson, Jeremy A, de Castro Braz, Lisandra E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Physiological Society 01.09.2024
• Series: Integrative Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology
• Subjects: Animals; Congestive heart failure; Extracellular matrix; Extracellular Matrix - metabolism; Fibroblasts; Fibroblasts - metabolism; Homeostasis; Humans; Mini-Review; Myocardial infarction; Myocardium; Myocardium - cytology; Myocardium - metabolism; Myocardium - pathology; Neural networks; Physiology; Signal Transduction; Ventricular Remodeling; physiology; fibrosis; myocardium; pressure overload; ischemia
• ISSN: 0363-6135; 1522-1539; 1522-1539
• DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00478.2024

Cardiac fibroblasts play a pivotal role in maintaining heart homeostasis by depositing extracellular matrix (ECM) to provide structural support for the myocardium, vasculature, and neuronal network and by contributing to essential physiological processes. In response to injury such as myocardial infarction or pressure overload, fibroblasts become activated, leading to increased ECM production that can ultimately drive left ventricular remodeling and progress to heart failure. Recently, the issued a call for papers on cardiac fibroblasts that yielded articles with topics spanning fibroblast physiology, technical considerations, signaling pathways, and interactions with other cell types. This mini-review summarizes those articles and places the new findings in the context of what is currently known for cardiac fibroblasts and what future directions remain.