Fibrosis progression in the lung commonly results in impaired functional gas exchange,
respiratory failure, or even death. In addition to the aberrant activation and differentiation of …

A unique feature of systemic sclerosis (SSc) that distinguishes it from other fibrotic disorders
is that autoimmunity and vasculopathy characteristically precede fibrosis. Moreover, fibrosis …

Myofibroblasts are non-muscle contractile cells that play a key physiologically role in organs
such as the stem villi of the human placenta during physiological pregnancy. They are able …

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) isoforms play a major role in stimulating the
replication, survival, and migration of myofibroblasts during the pathogenesis of fibrotic …

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), a prototype of multifunctional cytokine, is a key
regulator of extracellular matrix (ECM) assembly and remodeling. Specifically, TGF-β …

The pleiotropic growth factor TGFβ1 promotes many of the pathogenic mechanisms
observed in lung fibrosis and airway remodeling, such as aberrant extracellular matrix …

Transforming growth factor (TGF) β plays an important role in normal pulmonary
morphogenesis and function and in the pathogenesis of lung disease. The effect of TGFβ is …

The Transforming Growth Factor β superfamily (TGFβ) is one of the most complex groups of
cytokines with widespread effects on many aspects of growth and development. The TGFβ …

The endothelins are a family of endothelium-derived peptides that possess a variety of
functions, including vasoconstriction. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is up-regulated during tissue …

Myofibroblasts, the hallmark of fibrotic disease, contribute to the pathology of fibrosis by
secreting large amounts of extracellular matrix and contributing to alveolar contraction …