Modulation of TGFbeta1-dependent myofibroblast differentiation by hyaluronan.

ABSTRACT: Myofibroblasts are contractile cells that are characterized by the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin and mediate the closure of wounds and the formation of collagen-rich scars. Their presence in organs such as lungs, liver, and kidney has long been established as a marker of progressive fibrosis. The transforming growth factor beta(1)-driven differentiation of fibroblasts is a major source of myofibroblasts, and recent data have shown that hyaluronan is a major modulator of this process. This study examines this differentiation mechanism in more detail. Transforming growth factor beta(1)-dependent differentiation to the myofibroblastic phenotype was antagonized by the inhibition of hyaluronan synthesis, confirming that hyaluronan was necessary for differentiation. This response, howe

SUBMITTER: Webber J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2708802 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature