Various forms of fibrosis, comprising tissue thickening and scarring, are involved in 40% of
deaths across the world. Since the discovery of scarless functional healing in fetuses prior to …

Myofibroblasts are contractile, α-smooth muscle actin-positive cells with multiple roles in
pathophysiological processes. Myofibroblasts mediate wound contractions, but their …

Cells need to be anchored to extracellular matrix (ECM) to survive, yet the role of ECM in
guiding developmental processes, tissue homeostasis, and aging has long been …

Normal tissue homeostasis and architecture restrain tumor growth. Thus, for a tumor to
develop and spread, malignant cells must overcome growth-repressive inputs from …

Dysregulated secretion and extracellular activation of TGF-β1 stimulates myofibroblasts to
accumulate disordered and stiff extracellular matrix (ECM) leading to fibrosis. Fibronectin …

Scleroderma is a progressive autoimmune disease affecting multiple organs. Fibrosis, the
hallmark of scleroderma, represents transformation of self-limited wound healing into a …

Cell responses to the extracellular matrix depend on specific signaling events. These are
important from early development, through differentiation and tissue homeostasis, immune …

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a highly dynamic structure that not only provides a physical
framework for cells within connective tissues, but also imparts instructive signals for …

The extracellular matrix (ECM) glycoprotein fibronectin (FN) requires the help of cells to
assemble into a functional fibrillar matrix, which then orchestrates the assembly of other …

With the increased awareness about the importance of the composition, organization, and
stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM) for tissue homeostasis, there is a renewed need to …