Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Development of an In Vitro Assay to Evaluate Contractile Function of Mesenchymal Cells that Underwent Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Published on: June 10, 2016
CD8+ T cells drive myofibroblast activation and contraction via JAK/STAT3 and TGFβ signaling
Theodoros Ioannis Papadimitriou1, Anne van Essen1, Merel Willemse1
1Department of Rheumatology, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Abstract:
Fibrosis in rheumatic connective tissue diseases is marked by CD8+ T cell and pro-fibrotic myofibroblast infiltration, though the role of CD8+ T cells in myofibroblast activity remains unexplored. To address this, we developed a 3D cell culture model of immunity-driven fibrosis by combining the classic mixed lymphocyte reaction and a 3D myofibroblast contractility model. Upon co-culture with myofibroblasts, CD8+ T cells more strongly induced myofibroblast contraction and activation than CD4+ T cells. This was not associated with cytotoxicity but with increased IL-6 production by CD8+ T cells and pSTAT3 and TGFβ signaling in myofibroblasts. Use of the JAK/STAT3-inhibitor tofacitinib or the TGFβ receptor inhibitor SB-505124 inhibited the activated myofibroblast phenotype, and combined use of both inhibitors had a clear additive effect. Our findings reveal a previously underappreciated non-canonical role of CD8+ T cells in fibrosis, providing new light to the mechanisms of the human immune system.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
TGF - β Signaling Pathway
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway
Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
Introduction to Fibroblasts
Smooth Muscle Contraction
The onset of contraction is triggered by an increase in calcium ions within the sarcoplasm, similar to the process in striated muscle. However, smooth muscles have a relatively smaller reservoir of the sarcoplasmic...
Formation of Muscle Fibers from Myoblasts
Muscle progenitor cells (MPCs) are formed from the myotomes. MPCs express genes that encode the transcription factors Pax3 and Pax7. Along with Pax 3/7, other transcription...

