Essential growth factor receptors for fibroblast homeostasis and activation

Abstract

Fibroblasts are cells of mesenchymal origin that are found throughout the body. While these cells have several functions, their integral roles include maintaining tissue architecture through the production of key extracellular matrix components, and participation in wound healing after injury. Fibroblasts are also key mediators in disease progression during fibrosis, cancer, and other inflammatory diseases. Under these perturbed states, fibroblasts can activate into inflammatory fibroblasts or contractile myofibroblasts. Fibroblasts require various growth factors and mitogenic molecules for survival, proliferation, and differentiation. While the activity of mitogenic growth factors on fibroblasts in vitro was characterized as early as the 1970s, the proliferation and differentiation effects of growth factors on these cells in vivo are unclear. Moreover, recent work exploring the heterogeneity of fibroblasts raises questions as to whether all fibroblast cell states exhibit the same growth factor requirements. Here, we will examine and review existing growth factors known to influence fibroblast homeostasis to begin unpacking the potential growth factors that may influence in vivo fibroblast cell states.