A new article published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences discussed that soft tissue fibrosis – characterized by excessive connective tissue deposition, is a result of chronic but progressive accumulation of fibroblasts and their production of extracellular matrix components, such as collagens. Dermal fibrotic lesions bear all of the fibrotic characteristics seen in soft tissue fibrosis; besides, they are readily observable and directly treatable.

The authors reported that vascular cells play important roles in cutaneous scar pathology—including endothelial cells, which not only exhibit aberrant functions but also differentiate into mesenchymal cells in pathological scars. Other cells that may involve in the pathogenesis of dermal scars are pericytes, hepatic stellate cells, fibrocytes and myofibroblasts

Source: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2020 Apr 6;21(7):E2542. doi: 10.3390/ijms21072542.