To fix fibrosis, nix the niche
Organs such as the liver can mount a regenerative response to acute injury, but during chronic injury, this innate repair capacity is overwhelmed, leading to scarring and dysfunction. Cao et al. investigated whether targeting the microenvironment could improve therapeutic cell engraftment to reinstate regeneration in fibrotic organs. Treating mice with a dual therapy—an inhibitor of an enzyme up-regulated in fibrotic fibroblasts and viral particles that promoted endothelial-specific secretion of a growth factor—improved hepatocyte engraftment in fibrotic livers and epithelial cell engraftment in fibrotic lungs. Targeting both the vascular and perivascular regions could be key for restoring regeneration to fibrotic organs.
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