Immunofibroblasts are pivotal drivers of tertiary lymphoid structure formation and local pathology.

ABSTRACT: Resident fibroblasts at sites of infection, chronic inflammation, or cancer undergo phenotypic and functional changes to support leukocyte migration and, in some cases, aggregation into tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). The molecular programming that shapes these changes and the functional requirements of this population in TLS development are unclear. Here, we demonstrate that external triggers at mucosal sites are able to induce the progressive differentiation of a population of podoplanin (pdpn)-positive stromal cells into a network of immunofibroblasts that are able to support the earliest phases of TLS establishment. This program of events, that precedes lymphocyte infiltration in the tissue, is mediated by paracrine and autocrine signals mainly regulated by IL13. This initial fibro

SUBMITTER: Nayar S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6613169 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature