Fibroblasts as maestros orchestrating tissue regeneration

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2018

Authors

Costa Almeida, R (Author) Other; soares, r (Author) FMUP; Granja, PL (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Journal of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

Vol. 12 No. 5

Pages: 240-251

ISSN: 1932-6254

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 33 Citations

Scopus - 44 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00N-GAS

DOI: 10.1002/term.2405

Abstract (EN): Fibroblasts constitute a dynamic and versatile population of cells of mesenchymal origin, implicated in both regenerative strategies and pathological conditions. Despite being frequently associated to disease development, particularly through the establishment of fibrotic tissue, fibroblasts hold great potential for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. They are responsible for synthesizing and depositing extracellular matrix components, allowing other cells to settle and migrate along a three-dimensional support and thereby generating an organ-specific architecture. Additionally, they produce bioactive molecules that are involved in several physiological processes, including angiogenesis and tissue repair. Although there seems to be much still to unveil about these fascinating cells they have been attracting increasing interest and are now being intensively explored as a cell source to develop bioengineered tissue constructs or to improve stem cell-based technologies. This review intends to highlight the potential of fibroblasts in orchestrating tissue regeneration, as well as to contribute to uncover uncharted prospective applications of these cells. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 12