Mechanisms leading to fibroblast accumulation during pulmonary fibrogenesis remain
unclear. Although there is in vitro evidence of lung alveolar epithelial-to-mesenchymal …

Background Fibroblastic foci are characteristic features in lung parenchyma of patients with
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). They comprise aggregates of mesenchymal cells which …

Background Defective epithelial repair, excess fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, collagen
overproduction and fibrosis occur in a number of respiratory diseases such as asthma …

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process whereby fully differentiated epithelial
cells undergo transition to a mesenchymal phenotype giving rise to fibroblasts and …

The hallmark of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the myofibroblast, the cellular origin of
which in the lung is unknown. We hypothesized that alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) may …

Prior work has shown that transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) can mediate transition of
alveolar type II cells into mesenchymal cells in mice. Evidence this occurs in humans is …

Abstract epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been considered to be involved in
organ fibrogenesis. However, there is few direct evidence of this process in the …

Background The origin of collagen-producing cells in lung fibrosis is unclear. The
involvement of embryonic signaling pathways has been acknowledged and trans …

The pathological hallmark lesions in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are the fibroblastic foci, in
which fibroblasts are thought to be involved in the tissue remodeling, matrix deposition, and …

Background Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in alveolar epithelial cells (AECs)
has been widely observed in patients suffering interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. In vitro studies …