Key result
Genetic lineage tracing revealed that cardiac endothelial cells do not transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts or transiently express mesenchymal genes during homeostasis and fibrosis in the adult heart.
Why the study?
It remained unknown whether cardiac endothelial cells reversibly transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts or if endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition genes are only transiently activated during cardiac fibrosis.
Lineage tracing demonstrates that resident fibroblasts, rather than endothelial cells undergoing endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, are the primary source of myofibroblasts in adult cardiac fibrosis.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Hypothesis-generating that resident fibroblasts predominate over EndoMT in adult cardiac fibrosis; human studies needed before targeting implications.
A 2021 study studied Cardiac fibrosis. Genetic lineage tracing system (Cre-loxP and Dre-rox) was evaluated on Transiently activated mesenchymal gene expression (αSMA and Zeb1) in endothelial cells. Genetic lineage tracing revealed that cardiac endothelial cells do not transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts or transiently express mesenchymal genes during homeostasis and fibrosis in the adult heart.
Synapse has enriched 3 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: