Normal Human Lung Epithelial Cells Inhibit Transforming Growth Factor-β Induced Myofibroblast Differentiation via Prostaglandin E2.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive disease with very few effective treatments. The key effector cells in fibrosis are believed to be fibroblasts, which differentiate to a contractile myofibroblast phenotype with enhanced capacity to proliferate and produce extracellular matrix. The role of the lung epithelium in fibrosis is unclear. While there is evidence that the epithelium is disrupted in IPF, it is not known whether this is a cause or a result of the fibroblast pathology. We hypothesized that healthy epithelial cells are required to maintain normal lung homeostasis and can inhibit the activation and differentiation of lung fibroblasts to the myofibroblast phenotype. To investigate this hypothesis, we employed a novel co-culture model with

SUBMITTER: Epa AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4527711 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature