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Updated: Jul 2, 2025

Author Spotlight: Isolation and Culture of Primary Synovial Macrophages and Fibroblasts from Murine Arthritis Tissue
Published on: February 24, 2023
CD200+ fibroblasts form a pro-resolving mesenchymal network in arthritis
Simon Rauber1,2, Hashem Mohammadian1,2, Christian Schmidkonz3,4
1Department of Internal Medicine 3 - Rheumatology and Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany.
Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) imaging reveals fibroblast phenotypic shifts during inflammation resolution. This transition from pro-inflammatory to pro-resolving states is crucial for healing arthritis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Rheumatology
Background:
- Fibroblasts regulate inflammation, but their phenotypic changes during inflammation resolution remain unclear.
- Understanding fibroblast dynamics is key to developing targeted therapies for inflammatory diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate fibroblast phenotypic changes during inflammation resolution in vivo.
- To explore the role of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) as a marker for fibroblast activation.
Main Methods:
- Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to detect FAP in human arthritis.
- Single-cell RNA-sequencing of fibroblast populations in experimental arthritis.
- Spatial transcriptomics of human joints to map cellular interactions.
Main Results:
- FAP tracer accumulation decreased after anti-TNF and anti-IL-17A therapy in arthritis.
- FAP signal reduction correlated with a switch from pro-inflammatory (MMP3+/IL6+) to pro-resolving (CD200+/DKK3+) fibroblasts.
- Pro-resolving fibroblasts formed niches with type 2 innate lymphoid cells, promoting arthritis resolution via CD200-CD200R1 signaling.
Conclusions:
- Fibroblast phenotype is dynamically regulated during inflammation resolution.
- FAP imaging can non-invasively track fibroblast activation and phenotypic switching.
- Targeting fibroblast phenotypes offers a potential therapeutic strategy for inflammatory arthritis.
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