Regulatory mechanisms of fibroblast activity

Fibroblasts are mesenchymal cells present in most organs which play a crucial role in repair processes but are also involved in the development of fibrosis. Although fibroblasts have been grown in culture for many years, their multiple functions including migration, chemotaxis, protein synthesis and others have only recently been investigated in detail. These studies demonstrated that cellular responses of fibroblasts can be elicited by matrix-mediated signals as well as by cytokines released from inflammatory or other differentiated cells. The aim of the present paper is to review the influence of such signals and to discuss their role in disease processes, particularly in fibrosis, keloids or scleroderma.