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Updated: Mar 21, 2026

Scanning Electron Microscopy of Macerated Tissue to Visualize the Extracellular Matrix
Published on: June 14, 2016
Molecular networks underlying myofibroblast fate and fibrosis
April Stempien-Otero1, Deok-Ho Kim2, Jennifer Davis3
1Division of Cardiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
Abstract:
Fibrotic remodeling is a hallmark of most forms of cardiovascular disease and a strong prognostic indicator of the advancement towards heart failure. Myofibroblasts, which are a heterogeneous cell-type specialized for extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion and tissue contraction, are the primary effectors of the heart's fibrotic response. This review is focused on defining myofibroblast physiology, its progenitor cell populations, and the core signaling network that orchestrates myofibroblast differentiation as a way of understanding the basic determinants of fibrotic disease in the heart and other tissues.
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