TGF-β/Smad3-activated myofibroblasts exert protective effects in pressure-overloaded myocardium by suppressing matrix-degrading proteases.
In the pressure-overloaded myocardium, TGF-β/Smad3-activated cardiac fibroblasts play an important protective role, preserving the ECM network, suppressing macrophage-driven inflammation, and attenuating cardiomyocyte injury. The protective actions of the myofibroblasts are mediated, at least in part, through Smad-dependent suppression of matrix-degrading proteases.
Russo et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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