PDGFRα+ fibroblast ablation exacerbates pathologic features in a model of house dust mite-induced allergenic asthma.

ABSTRACT: Asthma, a chronic inflammatory airway disease, remains a major global health concern. Fibroblasts, the cell type responsible for tissue repair and fibrosis, are therefore a potential therapeutic target for asthma-related lung disease. However, the role of fibroblasts in the onset and progression of asthma is poorly understood. Thus, we sought to determine the effects of fibroblast loss on lung homeostasis and asthma development using a transgenic mouse model to ablate PDGFRα+ fibroblasts. We observed a consistent reduction in PDGFRα+ cells (75-85% in the mesenchyme), which persisted for several months. The PDGFRα+ fibroblast-ablated lungs exhibited a reduced number of lipofibroblasts, altered extracellular matrix gene expression and increased neutrophils in both the bronchoalveolar lavage

SUBMITTER: Shin HE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12805647 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature