The kidney has a remarkable ability of repair after acute kidney injury (AKI). However, when
injury is severe or persistent, the repair is incomplete or maladaptive and may lead to …

Mesangial cells are stromal cells that are important for kidney glomerular homeostasis and
the glomerular response to injury. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that …

Granulation tissue fibroblasts (myofibroblasts) develop several ultrastructural and
biochemical features of smooth muscle (SM) cells, including the presence of microfilament …

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a major mitogen for connective tissue cells and
certain other cell types. It is a dimeric molecule consisting of disulfide-bonded, structurally …

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent cells which can give rise to mesenchymal
and non-mesenchymal tissues in vitro and in vivo. Whereas in vitro properties such as …

AKI increases the risk of developing CKD, but the mechanisms linking AKI to CKD remain
unclear. Because proximal tubule injury is the mainstay of AKI, we postulated that proximal …

Chronic liver disease is associated with remarkable alterations in the intra-and extrahepatic
vasculature. Because of these changes, the fields of liver vasculature and portal …

Progression of fibrosis involves interstitial hypercellularity, matrix accumulation, and atrophy
of epithelial structures, resulting in loss of normal function and ultimately organ failure. There …

Mesangial cells-mediated glomerulonephritis is a frequent cause of end-stage renal
disease. Here, we show that celastrol is effective in treating both reversible and irreversible …

Appearance of contractile filament-laden stromal cells or myofibroblasts is a characteristic of
lung fibrotic lesions. The role of these cells in fibrosis and their cytoskeletal phenotype are …