Multifaceted Roles of Dermal Fibroblasts in Skin Health and Disease

Fibroblasts are spindle-shaped cells that are highly abundant in connective tissues throughout the body and have classically been considered as the cell type that forms scars and the structure of the dermis.

To illuminate the previously unappreciated multifunctional roles of dermal fibroblasts in health and disease.

PubMed identified current literature characterizing matrix, immune, and stem cell functions performed by dermal fibroblasts.

Although once considered a homogenous cell type that mainly produces extracellular matrix, fibroblasts are now known to be a diverse class of cells, with subsets acting as mesenchymal stem cells and regulators of cutaneous immune responses. Fibroblastactivities are critical for promoting normal skin physiology in the context of tissue morphogenesis, host defense against pathogens, and wound healing. However, dysregulation of fibroblast activities also appears to drive inflammatory disease, fibrosis, and aging.

Fibroblasts are a diverse class of cells with multifacected roles in skin physiology and pathology. Continued investigation into the development, function, and significance of newly recognized dermal fibroblast subsets may lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches that target fibroblasts directly and leverage fibroblasts as a cell therapy.