Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Isolation of CD 90+ Fibroblast/Myofibroblasts from Human Frozen Gastrointestinal Specimens
06:02

Isolation of CD 90+ Fibroblast/Myofibroblasts from Human Frozen Gastrointestinal Specimens

Published on: January 31, 2016

10.2K

Decreased MCP-1/CCR2 axis-mediated chemotactic effect of conjunctival fibroblasts after transdifferentiation into

Utako Tsutsumi-Kuroda1, Toshihiro Inoue1, Akiko Futakuchi1

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan.

Experimental Eye Research
|February 20, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Human conjunctival fibroblasts (HConFs) lose chemotactic effects on monocytes after transforming into myofibroblasts. This change is linked to reduced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) via the MCP-1/CCR2 pathway.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Cell Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Human conjunctival fibroblasts (HConFs) play a role in ocular tissue homeostasis.
  • Fibroblast transdifferentiation into myofibroblasts is implicated in fibrotic diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the alteration in HConF chemotactic properties following transdifferentiation into myofibroblasts.
  • To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these changes, focusing on monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1).

Main Methods:

  • HConFs were induced to transdifferentiate into myofibroblasts using transforming growth factor-beta2 (TGF-β2).
  • Cytokine levels in conditioned media were quantified using multiplex immunoassays.
  • Chemotactic activity was assessed using Boyden chamber assays with THP-1 monocyte cells.

Main Results:

  • Transdifferentiation significantly decreased MCP-1 concentration in HConF conditioned media (P < 0.001).
  • The chemotactic effect of HConFs on THP-1 cells was reduced post-transdifferentiation (P = 0.032).
  • Neutralization of MCP-1 and antagonism of C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) inhibited monocyte migration.

Conclusions:

  • Transdifferentiation of HConFs into myofibroblasts diminishes their chemotactic influence on monocytes.
  • The MCP-1/CCR2 signaling pathway is a key mediator of this reduced chemotaxis.
  • These findings offer insights into the cellular mechanisms in ocular fibrotic conditions.
Keywords:
ChemotaxisConjunctival fibroblastCytokineMCP-1Myofibroblast

More Related Videos

Isolation and Characterization of Adult Cardiac Fibroblasts and Myofibroblasts10:45

Isolation and Characterization of Adult Cardiac Fibroblasts and Myofibroblasts

Published on: March 12, 2020

17.2K
Experimental Generation of Carcinoma-Associated Fibroblasts CAFs from Human Mammary Fibroblasts15:43

Experimental Generation of Carcinoma-Associated Fibroblasts CAFs from Human Mammary Fibroblasts

Published on: October 25, 2011

24.0K

Related Concept Videos

Forced Transdifferentiation01:28

Forced Transdifferentiation

Transdifferentiation, also known as lineage reprogramming, was first discovered by Selman and Kafatos in 1974 in silkmoths. They observed that the moths’ cuticle-producing cells transformed into salt-producing cells. Many such cases of natural transdifferentiation occur in organisms. In humans, pancreatic alpha cells can become beta cells. In newts, the loss of the eye’s lens causes the pigmented epithelial cells to transdifferentiate into the lens cells.
Artificial...
2.4K
Decreasing Function01:27

Decreasing Function

A decreasing function describes a relationship where the output consistently declines as the input increases. This means that for any two input values, if one is greater than the other, the corresponding output is smaller. Mathematically, a function f is decreasing on an interval I if for every x1 < x2​ in I, f (x1) > f (x2). This type of behavior is visually identified on a graph that slopes downward from left to right.The nature of a function can be analyzed by calculating...
312
Decreased Body Temperature01:29

Decreased Body Temperature

A decreased body temperature can occur in patients with hypothermia and frostbite. Heat loss with extended cold exposure overpowers the body's ability to create heat, resulting in hypothermia. Core temperature readings help classify hypothermia. Mild hypothermia is temperatures between 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 35°C (95 °F) and is caused by impaired thermoregulation. Moderate hypothermia is temperatures between 28 C (82.4 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F) caused by...
1.1K
Decreased pulse rate01:14

Decreased pulse rate

Bradycardia is a medical condition in which the heart rate is slower than normal. It occurs when the heart's natural pacemaker, the sinus node, generates slower electrical impulses than the standard rhythm. In adults, bradycardia is diagnosed when the pulse rate falls below 60 beats per minute, indicating a deviation from the normal heart rate range.
There are specific risk factors that can elevate the likelihood of developing bradycardia. Advanced age is a significant factor, with...
933
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis01:37

Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis

The response to stress—be it physical or psychological, acute or chronic—involves activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is part of the neuroendocrine system because it involves both neuronal and hormonal communication. Its function is to regulate homeostatic systems—metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune—providing the necessary means to respond to a stressor.
66.6K
Perpendicular-Axis Theorem01:16

Perpendicular-Axis Theorem

The perpendicular-axis theorem states that the moment of inertia of a planar object about an axis perpendicular to its plane is equal to the sum of the moments of inertia about two mutually perpendicular concurrent axes lying in the plane of the body.
Consider a circular disc of mass M and radius R lying along an x-y plane. The origin lies at the center of the disc, and the z-axis is perpendicular to the disc's plane. All three axes coincide at the disc's center. The moment of inertia of this...
4.6K